Involving Others in Your Caregiving
By Ryan Mackey

As a caregiver, receiving some extra help or consideration from others goes a long way to helping you deal with the daily rigors of life. Given the right help and proper respite time, you will feel better about your overall role, and be stronger emotionally and physically to continue your caregiving. Because much of the burden of care falls on one person in the family, other family and friends should be considered as viable alternatives. Talking with your loved one and establishing a plan surrounding your caregiving, their finances, and the sacrifices that must be made, is essential to quality caregiving. Consider these recommendations for involving others when providing the primary care for a loved one in need: 

• Allow your spouse to share some of the responsibility by taking care of the children, giving you some free time, or maybe cooking dinner one evening. 

• Seek help through community health care agencies able to have someone come out to support your caregiving efforts. 

• Have a friend assist you in caring for your children or running an errand for you if you are busy. 

• Keep the entire family aware of the situation and let them know if something needs to be changed or altered from the plan already established. 

• If you work outside of the home, see if your company or boss would is willing to be flexible with your hours and see if they have any advice that may help you juggle work and caregiving. 

• Incorporate the entire family in your caregiving, for instance, a long distance relative may give you money for groceries, or a friend may help you do the shopping. 

• Join a support group which may open you up to other caregivers in the area who can further assist you in learning about services available such as volunteer services and local elderly programs.

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