Y'all Gon' Make Me Lose My Mind

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Caregiver Logistics

Just like my mom, I have good days as a caregiver and bad days.  Today was difficult.  Mom needed my help and I was at work - typical juggling for some of us huh?

Instead of blowing off steam about my day, I feel compelled to simply list some things that caregivers encounter and have to deal with.  To share some insights with new caregivers, get an amen from the choir of seasoned  caregivers, and to inform those who are not caregivers about what exactly we do, and do it all out of love.

Please feel free to leave comments.  Dreamer and  I envision this as a place for conversation.

*Employee and (or vs) Caregiver priority juggling

*Chauffer

*Grocery, and everything else shopping buddy (fun for us...)

*Furnace/hot water heater/ac maintenance and repair/replace knowledgeable (I live in an apartment, new skill for me)

* Handling not only your own bills/taxes, but your loved ones too.  Remember their taxes - really important!

* Appropriate mail going to 3rd party conservator correctly and changing the mailing address again to conservator when mom changes it to her house.  We've done this one 2 or 3 times now - messes up her bill paying.

*Fixing the tv when it's broken.  It's never broken, she's forgotten how to use the tv and cablebox remotes again...for the 10th time and you're at work in a meeting.  Or, she thought it was broken, and in trying to fix it, pulls out the wire that delivers cable in to the home...or presses the button on the remote for muting the sound and giving you closed captioning in Spanish.  OK, that last one is just damned funny :)

* External Hard Drive Memory for every doctor appointment, set of instructions, pill and schedule to take meds and eyedrops forever amen.

*Cook or the even more finessed "cooking partner" because they won't give up cooking now that they are questionable at it.

*Gardner - just because they pull a weed or two doesn't mean they can handle the WHOLE garden anymore.




*Friend and confident when they are confused, disoriented, stressed, sad, lonely or happy and joyous.

They depend on us to handle things they can no longer do or are hopelessly confused by.  It includes all the things of daily living like laundry and sweeping, finding things.

Tell us what you do for your loved one.  Give yourselves a pat on the back for a job well done and help us tell others we need help doing this now and then.

Peace and Love
Voyageur