By AARP staff — 2019
Information and conversation are key to facing the challenges of care
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CLEAR ALL
Light exercise, breathing techniques, even smiling can improve overall wellness
Nicholas Pinter’s autism and bipolar disorder pose challenges for his parents. His father, Mike, right, learned mindfulness methods to help reduce his stress.
With each diagnosis, knowing her life hung in the balance, she was “stunned, then anguished” and astonished by “how much energy it takes to get from the bad news to actually starting on the return path to health.”
Whether you choose to be a family caregiver or the job is thrust upon you by circumstances, your most important responsibility beyond caring for your ill or disabled relative is caring for yourself.
When you are caring for a loved one with a long-term illness, caregiving becomes a marathon rather than a sprint.
Adjusting your attitude is easier than you think.
Being able to say, “No, I can no longer continue to provide care in this way,” may not only save the caregiver from emotional and physical burnout, but can also open up opportunities of shared caregiving responsibilities with others while deepening the level of honesty and openness in the...
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Whether you become a caregiver gradually or all of sudden due to a crisis, or whether you are a caregiver willingly or by default, many emotions surface when you take on the job of caregiving.
An attitude of heightened awareness and focused attention can have great benefits.
Ways to find balance in a life with competing demands