Caregiving: My Sister’s Perspective
Caregivers need a strong support group, and I am fortunate to have one. As I mentioned in a previous post, this enabled me to enjoy (without guilt) my daughter’s graduation from The University of Michigan. My sister came to my house and stayed with Mom, serving as her caregiver for five days.
As a caregiver, I often question myself. Am I doing the right thing? Do I have enough patience? Am I compassionate enough? How can I do better? Am I any good? What else can I do? Do I need more training? However, after my sister’s visit, I discovered that maybe I am being too hard on myself.
They say that you never really know someone until you walk in their shoes. And my sister had the opportunity to do just that for five days, while I was away.
She had the same challenges. She was changing the bed linens and Mom stood over her to tell her how to do it properly. Lift the mattress (which is almost impossible), get all the wrinkles out of the sheets; the list goes on. (Someone told me that if you want someone else to do it for you, you cannot tell them how to do it.) There was the accusation about how my sister twisted her words and accused her of something. Yes, all part of the same experiences I have had also. Only, I have done it longer and learned to get around the obstacle.
To sum it up, she said, “I don’t know how you have been able to do this for the past five years.”
Caregivers, we are not alone. We have similar experiences. We are strong and we are doing our best each day.
Questions for you:
Do you have a strong support system?
Who do you lean on for help?
Helpful Resources:
7 Caregiver Support Groups of 2021 (verywellhealth.com)
National Family Caregiver Support Program | ACL Administration for Community Living