|
Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
|
Caregiving |
Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Family Caregiver Viewpoint Streamlining to make life more comfortable I'm the ONLY relative Dad has left so I have to do it all. Dad has no friends or neighbors that can help. I know it will sound crazy, but I used to care a lot about my appearance. I spent a great deal of time on my hair and makeup and clothes. The first thing I eliminated was makeup. Instead of spending 10-15 minutes to put on my "face", I just wear lip gloss. I have grown my hair really long and I wear it back in a braid or ponytail. I have developed a fondness for pull-on pants and tunic tops. I carry ONE handbag (big, black) and never take anything out of it. I have a few favorite scarves and pendants and mostly reach for those, so I can get out of the house, fast. I never leave home without my PDA (palm pilot) and cell phone. I keep a charger plugged into the car at all times so that the batteries don't wear down. My husband and I eat out a lot more than we used to (expensive, but we're too tired to deal with dinner) and when we do eat home, it's simple stuff like pasta or stir fry. We make sure that we take SOME time to be with our friends, but have kept socializing to one BIG event a week. I made homemade jam in August. For house gifts everyone gets a nicely wrapped jar...I long ago stopped having the luxury of time to really shop for gifts. We are lucky, I guess, because we have enough disposable income to take car services more often than we used to instead of wasting time on buses and trains. We don't sweat the small stuff and we pay extra if we can have something delivered instead of having to go to the store and buy it. We haven't been on vacation for over a year due to caregiving demands, so we figure these little luxuries help make our lives a teeny bit more comfortable. --Alison Blackman Dunham, New York City “No” as an agent to prioritize and to reassess Add easy techniques to hands-on care Simplify communication to avoid stress, guilt When you’re nice, you don’t have to apologize A family caregiver's thoughts: Streamlining to make life more comfortable |
Ask
An Expert |
|
|
|
|
|
© Tad Publishing Co.
1996-2004 |
