Have you had the discussion with Momma about her preferences? What exactly are Momma's Preferences? If and when she can’t stay at home by herself any longer, what does she want? Does she want family coming in to help or outside caregivers? Would Momma even prefer facility care or some other option? Most readers would guess that she would want to stay home by herself or would … [Read more...] about What Are Momma’s Preferences?
Tips for Family Caregivers
Duties of a Family Caregiver
A reader recently asked about the duties of a Family Caregiver. The traditional meaning of the word “duty” implies obligation to someone. My thought, in that case, would be that a Family Caregiver would have no “duties”. Everything that most Family Caregivers do is done because of their deep love for the person for whom they are providing care. Most Family Caregivers are “in … [Read more...] about Duties of a Family Caregiver
Is There Anyone Else Out There?
If you are the primary caregiver for a declining parent you may wonder sometimes, “Is there anyone else out there?” You may be shouldering ALL of the caregiver burden by yourself. On one hand, you realize that you could possibly get more help. At the same time, you love your parent and feel like you can do a better job of taking care of them than anyone else. Besides, they … [Read more...] about Is There Anyone Else Out There?
Family Caregivers: Take Care of Yourself
As a Family Caregiver taking care of a Loved One at home, you've probably had many well-meaning friends and family admonish you to Take Care of Yourself. This well-meaning advice may have drawn a number of different reactions. Your reactions may have ranged from anger (they don't know what they are talking about) all the way to laughing out loud. It goes without saying that … [Read more...] about Family Caregivers: Take Care of Yourself
Why Should I Join a Community?
Why should you join a community? You are busy enough, as is! This just sounds like one more thing to do! We asked some questions for the last several weeks on our Help Me Help Momma Facebook page. One of the questions that we asked Family Caregivers was, “What is the hardest thing about caregiving?” Doing It All By Myself One of the hardest things mentioned most frequently … [Read more...] about Why Should I Join a Community?