Recently I was reading a blog post by Paul Span and the associated stream of comments in the New York Times concerning the use of contracts between a family member providing care, a family member receiving care, and other family members. I must say that initially I found the idea of a contract somewhat disturbing. I realize that the idea bothers me because I hold the view that a family caregiver should be approaching caregiving out of a sense of responsibility, love and compassion. Imagine if our parents could have entered into a contract for parenting in which their time invested was logged and at some future point we (the children) would have to pay our parents for their time and out-of-pocket expenses. Silly, you might suggest, because our parents

Written by eldering at Wisdom in Action

Tagged with: caregiving_contract responsibility service

   By Kevin Brown

In last week's post, I discussed how care for family Caregivers, especially when the provision of care occurs over prolonged periods, can leave the Caregiver drained of energy and in need of care themselves. I noted that Caregivers should endeavor to maintain their own health, keep up their social network, stay involved with family and share the caregiving. One gentlemen responded with

Written by eldering at Fearless Aging

Tagged with: caregiver conversation listening responsibility

   By Kevin Brown

In last week’s post, I defined a Caregiver as “any individual who willingly gives of themselves to improve the quality of life for another individual.” There are times when the responsibility of providing care weighs heavy upon Caregivers. When this giving of self, especially when it occurs over prolonged periods, leaves the Caregiver drained of energy and in need of care themselves, it is time to take a step back and look at what one’s own needs are.

Written by eldering at Wisdom in Action

Tagged with: caregiver family healthcare responsibility social_network