Cautions and Kudos for the Caregivers for Invisibly Disabled (other caregivers, too)
Are you a caregiver? Have a caregiver? Know a caregiver?
Dwellers may have invisible disabilities, but their caregivers seem “invisible”, too. If people don’t see – or believe – the disabilities, how can they see the caregiver? Or that the caregiver himself needs care?
Joe, Bill & Bethany, Glacier Natl Pk, demonstrate caregiver’s unusual duties!
Caregiving by Joe, my husband of 50 years, has helped me participate more fully in life for 38 years. I can dress myself, feed myself, do my own personal care and am not confined to a wheelchair, so people don’t realize all that Joe does! The times I’m too tired to fix my meal, let alone his. The twice daily “few” minute tasks he does. The washing I can’t quite finish. The jars I can’t open when I can cook. And so on. Not to mention the big one. Hefting my wheelchair in and out of the car and pushing me around for 20+ years because I can’t walk far.
For the fun part, we’ve gone some unusual places. Notice the steep boardwalk in the photo? Joe and others took turns pushing the chair on the flat, then carrying it up the steps while I walked. We gave up after awhile and went back down while the others continued hiking.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, JOE!
Joe is only one of thousands of caregivers who faithfully, day in and day out, care for a disabled person. They – or you – may be unnoticed, performing your duties silently and imperceptibly. After awhile, this becomes a burden. Take care of yourself!
Cautions exist for you caregivers. Pay attention if you are going to thrive. Begin with what applies to all people: eat well, exercise consistently, sleep enough. Although sometimes, you may wonder if that’s possible with all your other tasks. Beware of other pitfalls that exist.
10 cautions to beware of
An Alzheimer’s Association brochure lists these potential issues, any of which can cause serious problems if left unheeded:
- Anxiety
- Exhaustion
- Sleeplessness
- Irritability
- Lack of concentration
- Health problems
- Denial
- Anger
- Social withdrawal
- Depression
We are aware that you have feelings, and that you can feel overburdened – often with cause. We know the energy and strength it takes for you to take care of us. And that saddens us, too: we badly want to do what should be our own work! We appreciate what you do (even when we forget to say so), but we wish we could do it as we used to.
Be careful, we need you. We love you. We want you to be happy, too.
Most of all, we give you kudos for all you do on a regular, unending basis.
Just a few suggestions to express thanks:
- Speak, or write, a thank-you to her.
- Pay him the respect of remembering what he says.
- Communicate thanks to her with a smile.
- Be glad he accepts who you are, problems and all.
When I began this post, I thought I knew lots about caregiving, being on the receiving end for so many years. But the more I studied, the more I realized this is really a huge subject, so here are a few places to check for more information. A blog: “Caregiving Cafe.” General articles: “How to Care for the Disabled” and “Job Description of a Caregiver” (caring for the elderly). A special article for spouse caregivers: “When Your Caregiver Is Also Your Significant Other.” Google “caregivers” or “caregiving”.
So, if you are a caregiver, take care of yourself.
If you have a caregiver, be sure to appreciate him or her.
If you know a caregiver, give him or her a thankful heads-up!
Who is your caregiver? Or who do you know who helps someone else? Thank that person here!
–See you in 2 weeks, Connected Carole
