Care for Yourself so that You Can Care for Others: A Focus on the Caregiver

At Concordia, we understand how important it is to care for our caregivers.  We have seen caregivers of all types over the years ranging from children of our residents, spouses, siblings, friends and even neighbors.  Being a caregiver isn’t reserved only for those of us within this industry, it extends to all of us as a community, a family member, and a friend.

It’s important to Concordia that our caregivers find a healthy balance between care giving and caring for themselves. If you are a caregiver, we hope you will take a moment to read this and determine if you are engaging in a healthy and happy care giving experience. 

Caregivers Bill of Rights

Adapted from the 1985 book, “CareGiving: Helping an Aging Loved One,” by Jo Horne

I have the right:
1. To take care of myself. Care giving is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the capability of taking better care of my loved one.

2. To seek help from others even though my loved ones may object. Only I can recognize the limits of my endurance and strength.

3. To maintain facets of my life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that I do everything that I reasonably can for this person, and I have the right to do some things just for myself.

4. To get angry, be depressed, and express other difficult feelings occasionally.

5. To reject any attempts by my loved one (either conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through guilt and/or depression.

6. To receive consideration, affection, forgiveness, and acceptance for what I do, from my loved ones, for as long as I offer these qualities in return.

7. To take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my loved one.

8. To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me in the time when my loved one no longer needs my full-time help.

9. To expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid physically- and mentally-impaired persons in our country, similar strides will be made towards aiding and supporting caregivers.

Care for yourself so that you can care for others.  If you are neglecting yourself due to care giving or if you’re unsure how to best care for a loved one, our trained and compassionate staff at Concordia is here to help you. Contact us today via our online contact form or by calling us at 724-352-1571. Or, visit the care levels & services page of our website to learn how we can help you care for your loved ones with our wide range of services including Adult Day Services, Retirement Living, Long-Term Nursing Care, and more.

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