Your Proactive Caregiver Advocate: Dr. Cynthia Speaks!

Topic: Caregivers Whom Multi-Task Need Support!

What Is The Definition Multi-Tasking… CAREGIVING!!!

Many of the blogs and podcasts I share center on the raw experiences aligned with my caregiving journey. I was reminiscing about my years of working while caregiving. Early retirement put me on the full-time caregiving platform. While it was necessary to pivot from work-life to home-life, can I be honest …I was sad about leaving my second home where relationships of colleagues, my patients, and their families, the doctors, and nurses who invested and poured into me. I loved working in cardiology. In part, my choice of specialty had a lot to do with my father’s death from a sudden cardiac event. The cardiovascular field is fascinating, and the opportunities to spread my wings in the cardiovascular space were endless. Pondering my acute care experiences uncovered that many of my patients were elderly with numerous chronic conditions. The patient population I managed for years, I see now, actually prepared me for my 20-year journey of teaching, sharing, and advocating in the care of my mother.

I recall many days started early and ended late. Somewhere in the middle was the loss of sleep due to handling the needs of my mother. I was grumpy, grouchy, and crabby on some days. I’m just saying! But when caring for a loved one in the home, your existence is on the back burner. That is a part of the caregiving reality.

Work Without Worry

Many caregivers have to juggle work and home responsibilities. I was that caregiver. The obligations of working caregivers can differ depending on their situation and the needs of their loved one. How does one support and assist the working caregiver? As we work to keep our loved ones safe while away at work, we have to use our support systems to help; sometimes, that is paid persons. As caregivers, care, safety, and comfort must always be the focus. So if you are working outside of the home, you have peace, knowing your loved one is in capable hands. Here is a simple suggestion that can assist you to work without worry.

First, have written instructions that are clear enough that anyone can follow.

Have important contact information visible if an emergency occurs. Have check-in times, but do not “over-kill” the check-in to seem like you are not trusting. This is the fasted way to run a paid support person, family member, or friend off.

Hiring someone to step in is ideal; however, we know this is not an option for many. This is where family and friends need to be within your caregiving circle.

Your instruction should map out daily events, like, bath time, medication time, mealtime, exercise time, doctor appointment times, and more. I cannot stress the importance of communicating with patients’ families about their physical, medical, and emotional states.

I want you to remember that being a live-in caregiver is rewarding. It can be even more rewarding if you consider the appreciation of your loved one for your selflessness. Always work to keep your loved one in the home. The pandemic has uncovered sad situations, especially those where the family could not see their loved one. I could not imagine not having access to my mother. The separation would have crippled her.

As Your Proactive Caregiver Advocate, I am asking that you seek and find reliable family members and neighbors who can help you while you work. Caregiving has time commitments, and everyone who offers to help must realize it. Avoiding “caregiver syndrome” starts with bringing others into the caregiving space and providing clear instructions on their responsibilities. Having a good day at work is possible. It can happen with a supportive circle. Know them and appreciate them.