As a caregiver working for a company, privately working with a family, or as the adult child caregiver for a family member, my suggestion is repack your “tool kit”, and plan to do exactly the same thing businesses do.

Acquiring these new tools will help you more effectively connect or coddle the person for whom you provide care.  Equally as important, they can help you grow as a person and expand your opportunities to value your work and yourself.

What an extraordinary time in your life and the life of your loved one. Aging is not a punishment for living. You can be a partner in a process that was ordained by our Maker, the designer of the universe, as you by default or by your own choice, provide personal care assistance to someone in these most  fragile and sometimes  compromised years of life. It is reason to celebrate yourself.

Often the story goes like this: I have brothers and sisters and they don’t  help at all! Why do I have to take care of our parents by myself?  Chances are you have heard that same expression of stress and angst within a family unit. It may be the situation in your family.

The first tool you want to put in your new “Tool Kit” is an “Attitude of Gratitude“.  I am serious.  The things you can learn, the values you can see demonstrated, the extraordinary sense of love and respect you can internalize for some one who may be close to “going home” in a real sense is one of those moments described in the line, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away”.

A minister friend of mine wrote these words this week describing the birth of his first child. “The gift of new life is an amazing thing!  For years, I have told people that the miracle of birth is one of the strongest arguments for the existence of God. I feel that way now more than ever.  It is simply amazing how much you can love a child, so much the moment she is born.  There are many things in life that will change the way we see the world, but nothing like the birth of a child. The love, the pride, the joy and the sense of responsibility is overwhelming.”

And so it is with a person on the other end of this divinely created cycle of life .

Your new “Tool Kit” now has the first tool you need: “An attitude of gratitude”.  It is the  joy and wonder of birth  translated and redefined to describe the joy and wonder of life for one who has aged.  You can be there when they  need your hand to comfort theirs. You can be there to comfort and hold them when they feel so bad. You can  give them a reassuring  hug to be treasured, just as they did with you (or their child) as a newborn. It is a gift waiting for you to open and celebrate.

Though the answer may seem as simple as, “Just move them closer to where you live”, that’s not always in the best interest of you or your parent(s).

For aging parents who are attached to their home and/or active in their community with a group of friends they would not be interested in leaving, the thought of relocating can be stressful, which may have a negative impact on their overall health and well being.

So, in the interest of everyone’s comfort, here are some ideas to help ensure your aging parents are being looked after when you aren’t able to be there.

• Work with your parent(s), during your next family visit, on a home modification and safety checklist. Retrofitting a home and adding new security technology can make a big difference in their personal safety as well as expand the opportunity for parents to remain in their current home.

• Check in with “next door neighbors” that are also good friends. Include them in the safety net you are building. One favorite story I once heard is how two older neighbors, who each lived alone, used their kitchen lights and window shades as a way to let each other know every morning that everything was fine. If the light was off and the shade still down, someone needed help.

• Create a special place, with your parent(s), for important “stuff”: emergency phone numbers, family member phone numbers, doctors names and numbers, location of wills, etc. Keep a copy of this list for yourself. At Family Staffing Solutions, we have created a Put It In Writing organizer for just this purpose. It’s available in our bookstore and is an amazing collection of 400 exercises that consolidate everything from family history and heirlooms to personal business documents to make sure everything is handled the way your aging parent(s) want them to be.

• Include a new person in the partnership plan with your parent(s). If they are located in one of Family Staffing Solution’s cities, call our office to arrange a caregiver introduction. If there isn’t a Family Staffing Solutions office in their area, call us toll-free at 1-866-383-5670 and we would be delighted to assist you in finding high-quality services or companies available in your parent(s) community.

• Consider opening your own Family Staffing Solutions office. Our franchise availability and training have empowered many communities to provide excellent in-home elder care to loved ones across the United States. Just call us toll-free at 1-866-383-5670 and we’ll be happy to speak with you about this incredible opportunity to enhance your community.

I hope you’ve found this information helpful and invite you to pass it along to your friends. Remember, if you have a question about elder care or just need advice or someone to listen, all you have to do is Ask Becci!