Your Proactive Caregiver Advocate: Dr. Cynthia Speaks
Topic: Recap: A Caregiver Advocate’s Year in Review!
Happy Holidays! What a year it has been. Over the years, I pray you were encouraged, inspired, renewed, and refreshed as you cared for your loved ones. I, for one, know the challenges of caregiving up close and personal. Many of you know that I cared for my mommy for twenty years. She passed away in 2017, and occasionally, it feels like yesterday. Sometimes, I even say, if only I had one more day(that’s my selfish side). Although sometimes it seems daunting, caregiving is not an unending situation but a temporary assignment. Over this year, many of you have lost your loved ones, and some of you remain in the thick of the many challenges that caregivers encounter.
Over the year, I have shared many valuable tips and strategies to help on the caregiving journey, including prioritizing self-care and your mental health. The Power of “I” as a Caregiver and Where You Find Balance As a Caregiver should have gotten your attention. Neglecting personal health is a researched reality in caregiving because of the preoccupation with caregiving responsibilities.
Over the year, we discussed being weather aware during hot weather, hurricane season, and cold weather. If staying on task is challenging from day to day, making a checklist to help with daily schedules is helpful. We discussed chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, congestive heart failure, Parkinsons disease, dysphagia, renal failure, skin care, thyroid disease, wheelchair-dependent loved ones, mental health needs, nutritional health, vision, and hearing needs. Awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, if suspected, should be evaluated early for safety’s sake. Memory and communication loss of loved ones can be devastating.
Over the year, we shared the importance of exercise, story-telling, letting our loved ones age in place, and maintaining doctor appointments. Medication management is a high priority, especially for loved ones with chronic conditions. Getting your loved one out of the house and encouraging social interactions will keep seniors engaged in the world around them. We shared that we are aware of the financial responsibilities of caregivers. Bills do not disappear just because your loved one can no longer manage them. Let’s not ignore the necessity of sibling responsibilities in the caregiving sacrifice. We shouted out to all the male caregivers who were doing an outstanding job caring for spouses and children with special needs.
Over the year, we shared that eldercare abuse is a crime and must be reported. If loved ones are living in alternative placements, show up day and night, night and day. Be present so your loved one will not feel forgotten. We must protect older loved ones. In the same vein, knowing insurance plans and the business side of caregiving is a must. In short, persistently be alert. Know that your mission is to make daily changes to accomplish countless tasks.
As Your Proactive Caregiver Advocate, it has been a year of information sharing. As we know, caregiving requires knowledge, resilience, tears, humor, faith, devotion, duty, honor, and much love. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Be Safe! Be Well!
Dr. Cynthia J. Hickman is a retired registered nurse and case manager, CEO of Your Proactive Caregiver Advocate. She has released her newest book, The Essential Caregiver Training Course for Corporations and Community. From the Lens of Daughter, Nurse, and Caregiver: A Journey of Duty and Honor, and The Black Book of Important Information for Caregivers.
Website: www.cynthiajhickman.com
