That’s right, family caregiving has its seasons, and just like that, we’re back at spring again. Family caregiver, friend, learning to identify and navigate through the seasons of caregiving is important to your overall well-being. Caregiving may end someday and you’ll want to be healthy when it does. But you need to be healthy as you go through it, too. And it doesn’t happen by accident. You need a plan.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
I’m glad you’re here because some of what I write about here can be difficult to read, depending on your current caregiving season. I understand. We don’t know why things work out the way they do, but you can trust that God has a plan for you in every season of caregiving. That’s something we, as family caregivers, may lose sight of on those darker wintery caregiving days.
Caregiving and beyond
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
It’s an understatement to say that family caregivers experience many challenges. However, the effects of caregiving on our minds and bodies are relative to our capacity to cope with those challenges. And while we can’t outrun hard things, we can train ourselves to expand our capacity to manage them well in every season.
Family caregiving shouldn’t be one-sided with you caring only for others. Finding a balance you can live with is important–even small changes can help. But nothing happens without a plan.
Have a plan
I know you’re tired (ask me how I know) and now I’m suggesting you put a plan together. Really! Yes and, honestly, if you don’t already have one, then now is the best time to start.
Caregiving crept up on me, and I didn’t think to seek information until others saw me struggling. Well, that was too late. I don’t want that for you because recovery is harder than preparation.
“…recovery is harder than preparation.”
Start here
Fellow family caregivers, there is no reason to do caregiving the “harder” way (It’s hard enough already, right!?). Your plan doesn’t have to be perfect. You can, and should, change it over time. It’s okay because preparing is better than repairing.
Don’t wait for the perfect circumstances to get started. Perfection isn’t really a thing in caregiving. And while caregiving is rewarding, it’s also messy, unpredictable, and at times, difficult. Just get started with the basics and keep working your plan through the changing seasons of caregiving.
Just the basics
Here are a few basic areas you’ll hear from me often:
- Plan ahead (for every season)
- Get help early
- Get & stay organized
- Stay engaged with friends and family
- Caregiver self-care is important (Having a plan is practicing caregiver self-care.)
Resources
A wealth of government and local resources is at your fingertips. Here’s a few to get you started.
- Administration for Community Living
- Cleavlandclinic.org
- Agingcare.org
- verywellhealth.com
- The Stages of Caregiving (Concordia Senior Living)
- A Careful Look At The 3 Stages Of Caregiving
- The 5 Common Stages of Caregiving
- The Stages of Caregiving (Euro Carers)
It’s time to put away the winter gear, take off your mittens, and start Googling.
Gather information AS you plan, NOT when you think you have it all (that really doesn’t happen). Getting started is the first step. Keeping yourself healthy in mind, body, and spirit is the goal. Your health is important for you and your care recipient because preparing now is way better than repairing later. If you have a health event, it impacts your care recipient too.
And remember, spring always follows winter, so be ready to enjoy it.
Your health is important for you and your care recipient because preparing now is way better than repairing later.
Featured image photo credit: jessica-johnston-unsplash
