Throughout history there have been caregivers but they were not always termed as such. Caregiver is more than likely a modern phrase. The word “care” is defined as the treatment received or the attention you get when you are in need. The word “giver” is distinguished as a person who gives a service or material object in time of need. Putting the two words together of course gives you “caregiver.” That would be someone who provides a service or attention to someone or something who is in need of such service. When you look at it this way it covers the role that many people play. A child caring for a hamster is a caregiver. Parents or grandparents are the “caregivers” of their kids. Of course we mostly think of a caregiver as an adult who provides care to a loved one who is in poor health or old age.
You may fall into the caregiver’s role without even noticing it. It can typically start slowly with you running your aged parent to the store or the doctor. Then at some point you may start helping your parent with the checkbook and paying bills or running to the store to pick up groceries for them. Then as they age even more you begin to take over more personal tasks such as toilet help or assistance with grooming and eating.
If you find you are starting to stop by your loved one’s home more often to cut their lawn or clean their house, you are now a caregiver. When you play chauffeur and take them out so they do not have to drive, you are a caregiver. Moving your loved one into your home to avoid placing them in a nursing home means you are a caregiver. Sometimes these things are unavoidable if you love your family.
Can you avoid ever becoming a caregiver? It is possible if you have no close ties with anyone or perhaps a lot of other family members who do the work. But usually you will end up with some role as a caregiver to some thing or some one at some time in your life. If you are new to this role you don’t have to panic. There is a ton of help available and many of your own experienced friends may have advice. You just have to know where to look. We try to provide links to resources on this site that will help you.
You can always use more help when you are the caregiver for a loved one even if you are the one already doing everything you think you can. At some point you will want a break. You can check out 24 hour respite care or part-time companionship. You may be able to get other family members to help out in the care giving process. If more serious health concerns are present you may be able to get help from Hospice. You can still consider yourself the caregiver of your loved one even if you are becoming more of a coordinator of their care and cannot be with them that often. You are the one finding all the help they need.
There are a number of things in the caregiving process that you will end up doing. Assisting in bathing, showering and grooming are some of the most common tasks. Your loved one may need help getting dressed or going to the bathroom. Those tasks are also common. There could also be mental chores you will have to help with such as taking medication at the correct time and dosage or balancing a checkbook. As well you may end up simply being a verbal companion to your loved one who may feel lonely.
Out of all the adults who do need care at home, half are seniors over 65 years of age. Of that number only a small percentage actually end up in a nursing home even though these establishments seem to be everywhere, and full at that. This means there must be many adult caregivers out there who are performing the task of taking care of a loved one from anywhere to a few hours a week to nearly full time in home care. All of these caregivers feel they are simply fulfilling their family obligations. Do you do anything for a loved one that takes care of a need of theirs? If you can answer “Yes”, then you are a caregiver too.
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