Care Giving
Being a caregiver, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, takes a great deal of effort and time and no matter how much love you may have for the individual, it is a most difficult time for everyone involved. If you are the caregiver you already know that your responsibilities go further than just caregiving.
Perhaps your situation involves caring for a parent who is aging and needs care and attention, perhaps you have a child that has a chronic illness or special needs, or perhaps it is your spouse who is in need of caregiving.
While circumstances may vary, the fact is that caregiving is tough work, and affects family members in lots of ways.
- Are you dealing with emotional and or financial worries?
- Are you employed and worry about missed days and unfinished work?
- Do you have other family members who also need you to take care of them?
- Are you “missing” the person who now needs your care?
- Is your relationship being ignored with your spouse or significant other?
- Do you feel isolated from friends and social life?
- Do you worry about your loved one needing more care?
- Are you feeling guilty because you live too far away to help?
- Have you forgotten that you also need some attention and care?
How we can help make a difference!
As Family Therapists, our expertise focuses on relationships, intergenerational family experiences, and dealing with different perspectives regarding the problem. We work with family members including the caregiver and other family members who are affected by “the situation”.
We will help you find ways to:
- Reduce family conflict
- Improve communication
- Explore new connections and resources
- Shift expectations as health declines
- Discover ways to find meaning and satisfaction
- Understand your feelings and emotions as normal
We will help you find ways that “fit for you”, your life and your loved ones. We understand how caregiving influences relationships.
We know that often there are mixed feelings for the caregiver.
We understand that it is normal to have mixed feelings and emotions.
- Yes, it is possible to have love and still resent the sacrifices you may be making.
- Yes, it is possible to continue having a relationship with other family members and still get angry because they have suggestions for “how it should be done” yet you are the one who is the primary caregiver.
- Yes, it is normal to feel torn between feelings of obligation, love, responsibility and your own dreams.
- Yes, it is possible to find ways to be a caregiver and a spouse and a parent and a friend.
- Yes, it is common to “want to have your home back to normal” and want to care for your loved one.
- Yes, it is possible to be a caregiver and still have your own life back.
“The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it. ”
– Jean Paul