This is the season of holidays. Thanksgiving has just passed and we are heading into Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Years. During these special holidays, the life of the caregiver can become filled with more stress, overwhelm and even depression. There are often more responsibilities including extra visitors, more cooking, more shopping. How do you manage the additional phone calls, added appointments, social gatherings? How does your loved one handle the changes in the day-to-day routine? Are you able to spend quiet time together? Is the excess affecting the health and well-being of your loved one? Have you scheduled the celebrations and activities around the care of your loved one? Are you willing to allow friends and family members to relieve you for brief periods of time? Are you doing what is necessary to lighten your load as the caregiver while you enjoy the holidays? Share your thoughts with me.
Caregiving
During a recent conversation with a caregiver, she mentioned the challenges of caring for her mother who is 87. Her mother is unpredictable. How, I asked, do you respond or react to this unpredictability? The caregiver was at a loss for words. She had never thought about it. After spending sometime pondering the question, she said, it’s my mother. I never considered her behavior. This has just become a part of my responsibilities, and I just accept whatever comes. How does that make you feel, I asked? She had not given this any thought. It was part of her routine schedule. How would you have responded to this caregiver? Was anything acceptable? What methods do you think she uses to distract herself from this situation? Share your thoughts with me.