What can you let go of?

Being a family caregiver for your aging loved one is a big deal. Your family places immense trust in you and to make difficult decisions.

As your loved one’s health and care needs change, additional support may be needed. Think of it like clearing a path to a destination: you have to look where you’re going and be careful that everyone stays on track! That can be a lot of pressure, particularly if your tendency is to always do what you think is “right”.

Don’t get me wrong, I know the value of Right. If you’re someone who gathers the facts, weighs the differences, and proceeds with caution, then you know what I am talking about when I use the word Right. I’m referring to the Right answer, the Right next step, the Right words to say.

The promise of Right is safety, security, comfort, and peace of mind.

Not as obvious, though, is the cost of Right. These costs include stress, pressure, time, and indecision. It is tempting to find relief by just “doing things my way”. But, as I’m sure you know, that can cause big problems quickly!

Right can be blindfolding you and preventing you from seeing what might be in front of you. What if that blindfold could be removed?

A simple shift to practice as you gather your research and facts is to take a pause and a step back. Then, rather than reaching for the question “what is right?”, ask “What would dad (or your loved one) do/choose if he was caregiving his parent?”

Now you are coming from a place tailored to your loved one, his needs, and the support he would accept and benefit from rather than from a generalized strategy created via the data. You are coming from an intuitive place and where you can include him (depending on his abilities) in the decision process. This feels good. This is trust.

In making a simple shift like this, you can release some of the pressure and more clearly understand how to adapt to changing health and care needs. To learn more about adding tailored support for your loved one, please visit www.getafriendindeed.com.

Being a family caregiver is a big deal and you don’t have to do it all on your own.