Being a caregiver can be stressful, overwhelming, and lonely, which is why caregivers need care too. This video highlights a number of things you can do to make the caregiving experience more enjoyable for you and your loved one. Mike Belsito, Co-Founder of Cleveland, Ohio-based eFuneral, provides ten tips for caregivers.
You can find more articles and videos related to caregiving and death and dying in eFuneral’s resources section.
Video Transcription/Summary:
I’m Mike Belsito, Co-Founder of eFuneral. In this video, I’m planning on sharing a few tips for caregivers
specifically. I will share three tips, although we have a blog post where we’re sharing a full list of ten tips
for caregivers.
The first tip is a little counterintuitive for caregivers. It’s to treat yourself. This could be in the form of a
five minute break; read a little bit – maybe there’s a book you’re really into at the moment. It could be
taking the evening and going to the movies, and find someone else to cover for you for a little bit. The
reality is, if you’re a caregiver – especially a fulltime caregiver – there’s a lot riding on your shoulders.
Taking the time for yourself every now and then might seem selfish to you, but the reality is: it’s not!
In fact, it will help you, and it will help the person whom you’re caring for so that when you are there
caring for them, you’re there one hundred percent. Take some time to treat yourself or to reward
yourself every now and then.
The other thing that I’ll mention – my second highlighted tip – is to accept help. This is something that
some caregivers struggle with. But, you’ll find that families or friends will approach you and offer up
their help. You can typically tell when someone is just being polite or when they genuinely want to help.
If they’re genuinely offering their help, take it! As one person, there’s a lot on your shoulders, and if
someone can take some of that load off, why not accept that help? It’s going to help you and it’s going
to help the person whom you’re caring for. Accept that help when you can.
The third and final tip that I’ll highlight in this video is to seek out other caregivers. What you’re going
through is something that not many people can relate to. In fact, it’s only other caregivers or people
who have gone through or have been a caregiver that can relate to you. So finding that strong network
of (not only friends and family) people that have been caregivers is so important so that you can unload
on them and share your emotions. And, vice versa: you can take on the other individuals’ who have
been caregivers load. Be the shoulder that they can lean on. You’re going to find that it’s very helpful for
you to have people that you can talk to who can actually relate to you.
These are just a few tips to share; certainly there are more. In fact, the full list can be found at
efuneral.com/articles/center. For more videos like this, you can visit our YouTube channel at youtube.com/
efuneralresources.
eFuneral provides helpful information and support to those thinking about end-of-life.
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