Friends don’t have to be involved in the care routine; they can be involved by helping the caregiver.
Transcript
And I’ll use my family. So as much as I’ve said, one of my siblings is not involved in the care routine at all. That doesn’t mean that that individual can’t be involved in the caregiving situation. So, not involved in the care situation, but definitely can be involved in the caregiving situation; i.e. recognizing that if I have to miss a… if I miss a family dinner, it’s okay. Don’t take it personally; it’s because of what’s going on, or it’s because the power went out, or whatever it may be. And so, providing support that way to the family caregiver, I think, is something that is probably the most valuable advice I could think of to give to the family and friends of that caregiver. So maybe, it’s if someone can ease the load of the family caregiver—they may not be able to deal with the hands-on care delivery—but if someone can… if someone offers for example to carpool my son to his hockey game because I can’t get there on time because my mom’s been up all night and I’ve got to wait until the nurse shows up to cover me, that’s great support, right? Because it means that is one less thing I have to now obsess about missing out or sacrificing that affects another person.
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- Trying to find the right balance 2 – DrewWhile working on finding the right balance, Drew’s most important objective is to make sure his mother has the best possible care.
- Trying to find the right balance – DrewDrew and his family have made many changes to keep the right balance over the years.
- The future and caregiving – Drew“The future is 5 minutes from now.” Drew wants to focus on making sure his mother receives the best care possible.
- Support from family and friends – DrewDrew’s siblings all had different reasons to be involved in the care or not.
- Society and caregiving – DrewDrew would like the healthcare system to recognize caregivers’ contributions.
- Navigating the system – DrewAccess is a two-way street. You have to want to reach out, and there has to be something to reach out to. Drew found that there is no single person or place that can meet your needs fully.
- Legal issues – DrewAs a legal guardian for his mother, Drew considers alternatives on a yearly basis to ensure she is receiving the best possible care.
- Hospitals and facilities – DrewHospital staff can make use of the knowledge caregivers have about their loved-ones, as in Drew’s case.