How to Succeed at Juggling Caregiving Burdens

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Hi,
Thank you for this article.
My husband and I, and our three children have been caring for my mother since 2002 when she suffered a stroke. Four years ago she was diagnosed with vascular dementia. She is now in the severe stage of this disease.
I was particularly struck by #6 of the "10 common realities of care" that AARP has shared. In 2009, I knew I needed help and support, but didn't know where to turn. I searched for a support group in our town, but there were none. This was during a time where I still thought I was the only one caring for children and someone ill at home. I found an online support group, Caregiving.com, I continue to find wonderful support and resources there. I'm grateful that caregivers can feel better.
I hope in drawing attention to the "realities" that caregivers reading will know it's okay to ask and search for support and help while caregiving. They can find it. Thank you for the information shared in this article.
Bette Scott
blogger, Caregiving.com

Bette Scott of PA 4:31PM February 03, 2012

Welcome to my world! I am 51 and am caregiver for my 57-year-old husband who was diagnosed in December 2009 with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which may or may not be a precursor to Alzheimer's. We have a son in high school.
I'm not the "sandwich generation" since I'm not caring for my parents (both passed away in the last few years) but I am definitely "squished" between having been a stay-at-home mom since our son was born, and a very busy volunteer.
I'd love to see AARP have a variety of articles written by average people in the middle of caregiving. To read my story, and others like it, please visit caregiving.com

G-J of CA 12:55PM February 02, 2012

This is a fantastic write up. Caregiving is absolutely demanding, rewarding, loving and challenging especially for sandwich generation families. Another key element to family caregiving is learning to be organized, flexible and plan ahead. For family caregivers to prevent burn out, they need to CARE for themselves, ask for help, learn to take breaks and get the guilt out of their hearts because they can't do it all.
http://www.carenovate.com/,
http://facebook.com/cnovate

Dr. G of TX 9:29PM January 25, 2012

What a great post about the realities of caregiving. A fantastic tool for communication and organization for caregivers is Lotsa Helping Hands, a free, private Community web site to organize family and friends during times of need, called Lotsa Helping Hands. Family caregivers can get respite and relief from tapping into the many offers of help they receive from their circle of friends and family. The service includes an intuitive group calendar for scheduling meals, rides and other daily activities as well as community sections (well wishes, blogs, photos) that provide emotional support to the family. http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/

Courtney of MA 10:26AM January 25, 2012

A new intervention, the Memo, is proving successful with people who have early-stage Alzheimers or mild cognitive impairment.
A ten-inch tablet, Memo displays reminders and messages all day, along with the correct day, date, and time, for people who just need frequent reminders to keep their lives on track. The elder needs no computer knowledge to use it: if they can watch TV, they can use a Memo.
Family caregivers can post information remotely, as often as they like, from any location where they have Internet access. The Memo helps family members coordinate their efforts and keeps everyone in the loop.
Memo was designed to relieve frustration and stress for family caregivers as well as to reduce confusion and missteps of forgetful elders. More info at www.memotouch.com

Merilee Griffin of MI 2:13PM January 24, 2012