Caregiving Advice

Why we need supporting caregivers just as much as the primary ones. Today’s reflections post is by our newest team member,  Latia Johnson , who is our digital content creator & caregiving tech specialist. Latia helps care for her sister, who has multiple sclerosis. Sometimes more than one caregiver is caring for someone at the same time. But that doesn’t make one role more important than the other: it takes a village, and  all  contributions are valuable. Typically though, there’s one caregiver who’s the point person—often known as the primary caregiver. They’re the one who takes the person to doctors’ appointments, handles the finances, makes calls, runs errands, and more read about best blogs for caregivers . But in some households, there are caregivers in a supporting role. They may cook the meals, clean the house, and set up the next day for the primary caregiver. In my household, my mother is the primary caregiver for my sister, who has multiple sclerosis (MS). M...

  Last summer, we kicked off our very first “ABCs of Caregiving” campaign on social media and also provide the best caregiving advice and guide .It was so popular we’ve brought it back and we love hearing all of your feedback and the ways each letter and lesson resonate with you. Here, we’ve compiled the caregiving lessons from letters A through F of our social media campaign, the  #abcsofcaregiving —in case you missed them, or to share them with someone who’d be encouraged by them. A is for Adaptive Being a caregiver means that your job is constantly changing, and to thrive, you’ll be constantly changing your approach as well! From year-to-year changes…like going on hospice, month-to-month changes…like losing the ability to walk or even stand on her own, to hourly changes…like sun-downing, my grandmother’s abilities, moods, needs, and desires are constantly shifting. And if I’m not adapting, I’m not going to be able to keep up and provide her with the best care possible. The ...

Last summer, we kicked off our very first ABCs of Caregiving campaign on social media. It was so popular we brought it back for another season, and we love hearing the ways each letter and lesson resonate with you. Here, we’ve compiled the caregiving lessons from letters G through M. Credit for these reflections goes to Eliza Brown (G, I, J, K, M) and Latia Johnson (H and L) . G is for Grief Something that I’ve struggled a lot with over the years has been anticipatory grief. Some days it hits me like a ton of bricks. Mostly at nighttime.  Taking care of my grandmother over the span of so many different stages of care has allowed me to be acutely aware of her decline. And while this is good for her care, it’s also incredibly difficult to handle emotionally. And some days it’s impossible to ignore the fact that she won’t be here forever, and that one day I will have to relearn life without her. I think anticipatory grief is incredibly natural for caregivers because we have it so ingr...