Caregiver Mastermind

While caring for my mother Lillie, I, arranged, planned, created, coordinated my mother's care and mine.  When my mother first got sick, I had never even heard of the word caregiver. As my mother’s disease progressed, I joined several Alzheimer’s caregivers support groups and found out my new title was Primary Caregiver.  I felt like I was managing a company while I was care giving.  As said above I planned doctor’s appointments, hair appointments and outdoor activities for the both of us.  I created a care plan for all of us paid caregivers and my wonderful volunteers.

When you are caregiving, you experience many emotions during a day because of the stress that comes along with caregiving. In my estimation all caregivers are masterminds, they put a system together for the welfare of their loved ones and if the caregiving situations change, they make the necessary changes. Caregivers supervise their hired caregiver employees.  They hatch up schemes to get their loved one to cooperate with them. I hatched up schemes to get my mother to take her medicine. 

I created a plan that would keep my mother comfortable and as healthy as possible to keep myself sane. 

As I look back on those 10 years of caring for my mother, I see myself as a stronger individual and a happy person because I did care for my mother.  As an advocate and veteran caregiver, I would say to caregivers do not be hard on yourself.  Set a goal for yourself have a goal in mind at the end of your caregiving journey you will be healthy and ready to start your new chapter in like. When you need help call someone from your support group or your doctor do not feel that you are bugging people when you ask questions. 

Use of the resources that are available to you.

1.  Department of Human Services

2.  Department of Health

3.  Department of Aging