Helpful Links for SG Caregivers
Caregiver burnout is real and can be debilitating. Take warning signs seriously and make adjustments to your schedule. You must remain healthy for your kids and parents. Here are two links to caregiver burnout quizzes—answer each question honestly:
https://www.choosingtherapy.com/caregiver-burnout-quiz/
https://www.whereyoulivematters.org/resources/con-caregiver-burnout-quiz/
Help from family and friends may not be enough when you are a parent of young children or teens, plus a caregiver to your mom or dad. Here are examples of popular sites you can use to find hired help:
care.com
https://www.visitingangels.com/
https://homeinstead.com/
However, hiring a stranger to come into your home requires planning and discernment:
1. Carefully vet potential help by checking references and meeting them in-person before you introduce them to your parent.
2. Remember, the person hired must be a good fit for your parent and your children if your parent lives with you.
3. Offer a 2-week trial period with the potential caregiver before offering the position.
4. Have a clear, written, and agreed-upon payment plan, including how you will handle time off, meals, and transportation costs.
5. Discuss insurance and logistics if your hired help injures themselves while on your property. Commercial agencies usually provide insurance for anyone coming into your home.
6. Make a list of tasks you expect the caregiver to do, like laundry, meal prep, or administering medicine.
7. Before you establish a long-standing trust with your hired help, place valuables in a secure location.
Also check out https://www.carescout.com/resources/7-steps-for-hiring-a-caregiver-for-in-home-help for further tips.
Whether you are a sandwich generation caregiver or simply a caregiver for a friend or other family member, the emotions, struggles, and heartache are similar. My friend and author, Tracy Crump, has an excellent blog site called "Caregiver's Corner," where you can read short posts from other caregivers and find encouragement and tips. Find it here at: https://tracycrump.com/blog/
Also check out Tracy's Instagram account, where she posts short weekly videos to uplift caregivers: https://www.instagram.com/tracycrumpwrites/
Perspective is key. The Voice of the Martyrs magazine helped me through many rough days of caregiving while parenting. Use this link to receive a free subscription:
https://www.persecution.com/free-magazine/?_source_code=WBPGNLS3