How to Be a Good Caregiver

More and more boomers are finding they have taken on the role of caregiver, without any training, except ‘on-the-job’. Caregiving can be a thankless job, except when one thinks of the alternative – assigning a family member to third-party care – i.e. a nursing home or hospice.

SCAN Health Plan Arizona, a health insurance company, has issued an excellent reminder of what can make someone a good caregiver. Here’s a summary of what they have published:

1. Learn about the patient’s illness. You’ll function much better as an important communication instrument between the patient and the doctor.
2. Seek support. You should not try to go it alone in your challenging task. Find a good support group, sources of medical equipment and gadgets, help with transportation, a respite resource, and so on. Ask the doctor’s office, the health insurance company, the local hospital, or the county health department until you find what you need.
3. Modify the home. Add safety features (e.g. railings), and remove risky items (e.g. throw rugs).
4. Identify a back-up. You aren’t totally immune to illness or injuries, and your absence could be extremely disrupting if you haven’t found a potential back-up.
5. Get financial and/or legal help. Your patient should have completed full documentation of end-of-life wishes (see Five Wishes), and have a power-of-attorney in place for financial matters, if necessary.
6. Accept help from others. Many friends and neighbors will offer help from time to time, and you should take them up on their offers. 
7. Look after your own health. Caregiving is an exhausting, draining job, and caregivers are especially prone to clinical depression.