Three Professionals New Family Caregivers Need
When we start with the right support, we can access the support when we need it.
I spoke with a reporter last week working on an article about supporting family caregivers. Her last question to me was:
What three recommendations would you offer to an individual who has just started helping a family member?
I suggested that new family caregivers connect with:
An attorney to make sure the important legal documents are in order.
A financial planner to start planning for how to budget for care.
A caregiving coach, like a Certified Caregiving Consultant, who can share ideas, resources, strategies and support.
With these resources in place, the family caregiver can access them as needed. Perhaps the family caregiver meets with a financial planner annually to re-visit the budget for care. The family caregiver may meet with an attorney when documents need to be updated and when contracts, including a contract to reimburse the family caregiver for providing care, need to be created.
Family caregivers can connect with a coach when:
They want to manage the impact of a family member’s diagnosis.
They need to create Family Emergency Plans and then need to update them.
They need to hire help and when they need to hire more help.
They want to think through how to be reimbursed for providing care or hire a family member to provide care.
They need help getting breaks so want to create Respite In Place plans.
They just managed their first crisis and need a Recovery Plan.
They want to make plans to better manage the next caregiving crisis.
They are in the midst of a caregiving crisis and want support as they make decisions, take next steps and add more help.
They feel incredibly frustrated trying to manage The 17 Caregiving Systems.
They had a horrible day and need a good listener.
They see their caree’s declines intensifying and want to pursue palliative care.
They need support managing conflicts within the family.
They need support during a caree’s end-of-life.
They need support as they adjust to life after caregiving ends.
Most important, when family caregivers connects with a caregiving coach at the beginning of the experience, they have an ally who knows the caregiving story. The family caregiver doesn’t have to continuously repeat the story at the beginning of each session. The coach knows the back story. She just needs the new story.
When a family caregiver begins with the right professionals who offer guidance, resources and support, I truly believe that a family caregiver can better manage the stress, frustration and overwhelm that comes with the experience.
It can be sooo hard to get ahead of all the changes a personal caregiving experience brings. When family caregivers connect to the right professionals right away, they have a much better chance of keeping a life during a life of caregiving.
How would you answer the reporter’s question: What three recommendations would you offer to an individual who has just started helping a family member?
Resources
We’ve got a summer sale happening through June 15. You can save 30% on our newest programs (Comfort Care Family Coach, Certified Caregiving Guide and Conflict Resolution Strategist) as well as programs that help you facilitate support groups and become a virtual assistant for family caregivers. Learn more.
Join us for our next workshop, Healing the Life-Long Family Rifts, on June 27 at 1 p.m. ET.
Join me to learn about our caregiving training programs on June 16 at 1 p.m. ET (Noon CT, 10 a.m. PT). RSVP.