Resources for Caregivers I HIGHLY Recommend
When I’m in someone’s home working on accessibility remodeling or equipment to make living in the home easier, I’m often working with a family caregiver. Family caregivers are the front line providers of in home care across the United States. These are family members or good friends who are giving of themselves and their own lives to help protect the quality of life for someone they love.
They truly are every day Heros. If you aren’t a caregiver yourself, don’t stop reading. Think about the people you know. I bet that you know someone who takes care of a spouse, a parent, a child with a disability in addition to their job, their volunteer time, their other responsibilities. They may or may not have confided in you, but you know one. Listen, and you may be able to help someone someday.
Whatever motivates a family caregiver, as a group of people they are often at tremendous risk for both physical and psychological ailments themselves. Informal caregiving can quickly become a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, unrelenting responsibility. A person can find themselves assuming responsibilities and duties that they have no formal preparation for and never imagined themselves under-taking.
They can get so busy, so wrapped up in what they need to do for someone else that they don’t take time to care for themselves or to find ways to reach out to others for assistance and reinforcement. In this circumstance it is so easy to feel alone and to fall into the habit of assuming that no one cares about what you are going through, and that you have to do and think of everything yourself.
My message to caregivers is that you aren't alone. You aren’t the only one giving for what ever wonderful reason. There are people you can share your story with. There are resources to help you figure out what to do, to make the job of caregiving easier, and to give you a little break – a respite. What you have to do is take a little bit of time for yourself to get the information and develop the will to get help.
If you are in the Greater Omaha area, I would suggest you start with The Respite Resource Center 402.996.8443. There is also a great family resource health fair in Lincoln put on by Partners in Aging 1.800.828.0072. Also in the Omaha area there are six week courses that you go to once a week 402.522.7934. Or call me for more information at 402.291.9514.
