"Do you worry about the well-being of a family member?"
The right question will connect us to family caregivers. Most important, when we reach family caregivers, we'll connect them to help and support.
"Do you worry about the well-being of a family member?"
Ask this question when you:
create Social Determinants of Health screening questions to reach family caregivers.
want to reach caregiving employees to educate them about benefits that can help.
want to invite with family caregivers in your community to a support group or workshop.
I've seen organizations try to create a question that's too complicated to understand and too limiting, like:
"Are you a caregiver for someone beyond children, i.e., a person who tends to the needs or concerns of a person with short- or long-term limitations due to aging, illness, injury or disability?"
This question misses the mark because:
We think "caregiver" is the home health aide we hire, not us. Our answer to this question even though we are a family caregiver? No.
We wonder, What does "short- or long-term limitations" mean? When we don't understand, we'll opt out because we can't be sure to opt in.
We care for children who have special needs, chronic illnesses and mental illness so will answer No.
We care for family members with a mental illness so will opt out.
When we opt out, we miss out on programs and services that could help us. After we opt out, the organization decides there aren't family caregivers in the workplace, the community, the physician's waiting room so then limits the programs and services they offer.
We want to ask the question that is easy for a family caregiver to opt in with a yes. When we opt in, we show the need for programs and services that support us.
"Do you worry about the well-being of a family member?"
"Yes, that's me. I worry."
Worry is the emotion that defines us as family caregivers. We identify with the emotions of our experiences.
When you want to reach family caregivers, speak to their emotional experience.
Resources
Last week’s post about our spending habits during caregiving sparked a great conversation on LinkedIn which led me to a create a survey to better understand your spending habits. After you complete the survey, we’ll redirect to a page with additional surveys about your stress, compassion fatigue and financial impact of caregiving. If you have another minute after taking our survey about your spending habits, we’d love to know more about your caregiving days. Tell us about your spending habits during your caregiving experience.
Call for podcast guests! We’d love to include your stories and experiences in our conversations.
A well-led support group can be the cure for a family caregiver’s loneliness. Our training programs teach you how to lead meaningful conversations. Save 40% on our Certified Caregiving Facilitator, Master Caregiving Facilitator and Certified Grief Facilitator training when you use coupon code COMPANY at check-out. Sale ends April 5.
Become a Certified Caregiving Mentor to support your caregiving colleagues at work and your fellow family caregivers in your community.