A Resolution Suggestion from The Caregiver Curmudgeon

by Gary Barg, Editor-in-Chief, cargiver.com

I’m here to tell you that as a loving family caregiver you cannot fail, not once, not ever.

Now that you’ve caught your breath, let me elaborate. As a loving family caregiver, you are actually a seeker— a seeker of support, a seeker of understanding, a seeker of advice, a seeker of solutions, and even a seeker of the best healthcare system has to offer your loved one.

By taking the proactive action of seeking,  you may not always get the responses you were looking for, but the mere act of asking, researching, demanding even if you don’t always get the desired response, you have not failed.

The only way to fail is a family caregiver is when fear is involved:

  • The fear of questioning your loved ones medical professionals, because you’re afraid of their possible retribution
  • The fear of demanding the benefits your loved one is due from their insurance providers because you don’t use the three little words “who’s your supervisor”
  • The fear of asking for specific support from family members, due to possible challenging family history

To be fair,  so much of caregiving is truly scary,  this is your beloved family member after all and you only want the best for them. The answer is to never stop seeking, asking, or just accepting the easy no from their health care team.

Just remember that the more you exercise the skill of being a fearless seeker, the easier it becomes to get the solutions you desire.