National Family Caregiver's Month

National Family Caregivers Month We grow up and leave home to start a life of our own. Mom and Dad see us off and life goes on. But this is not always true and Mom and/or Dad come to live with you. A sudden disease or condition can leave them depending on us. November is National Family Caregivers Month. We need to make more people aware of this increasing lifestyle. But no one cares to hear about it, usually, until they are faced with the situation. Because these diseases or conditions appear almost suddenly, we don’t prepare for them. 

The responsibility usually falls on one child. Your life is changed. You have to arrange your schedule, your appointments, your career. So how do you do it? Where do you start? It’s an emotional roller coaster but, there is a way to handle it. As a Nursing Assistant, I would go into homes and help son’s and/or daughters care for their parents. 

Where I live, there is not a lot of resources so we utilize what we got. When roles are reversed, it’s hard to become the authority. You feel short tempered, like your always complaining or arguing, like everything was put on your shoulders and you have to run a marathon. There are caregiver’s rights to help you to not feel so angry or guilty. You can find this list at www.americanheart.org. to take care of your loved one, first you need to take care of yourself. 

Don’t feel guilty to hire help so you can go out with your spouse to grab a bite to eat. Spend some time outdoors growing flowers or tending to a garden. Share your flowers with your parent by putting a hanging flower pot inside of their window and plant seeds according to the season. Hang a bird feeder outside of their window too. It might make you feel less guilty when you share your interests.