A person is doing this (being a POA, HCS,
etc.,) solely to help you — and many are
friends or family members with busy lives,
too. Remember: They are often not paid
and these tasks can be very time consuming
and sometimes stressful.
Thank and recognize those people who
help you – whatever their role. They are all
some kind of caregiver, otherwise they
would not be helping you in a certain role
or capacity; nor would this help be needed.
Try to be kinder and add “thank you” more
to the lexicon of 2018. All caregivers need
to hear those words!
36GASPARILLA ISLAND 2018 May/June
Because of a number of converging factors, the
chances of all of us being caregivers (or
coordinating someone else’s care) will likely
increase. I hope this information helps to provide
you with needed information and resources for
those of you who are already caregivers as well
as for those of you who may become caregivers
in the future.
Resources
• Advance Care Planning: Healthcare Directives from
the National Institute on Aging:
nia.nih.gov/health/advance-care-planning-healthcaredirectives
• Advance directives & long-term care from
Medicare.gov:
medicare.gov/manage-your-health/advancedirectives/
advance-directives-and-long-term-care.html
• Legal Matters: Power of Attorney from AARP:
aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/info-2014/
caregiving-power-of-attorney.html
Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do
today. Take care of yourself and your caregivers by
addressing these important tasks. Consider these tips
as you frame your list. If you have a trusted attorney
or health care team, this would be a good time to
talk about these sometimes hard-to-talk-about topics.
Bring this article with you as a starting point for
discussion. Don’t let another year go by without a
plan.
As a nurse and from working in the home care
industry for many years, and being a caregiver myself,
I have seen that the care that family caregivers
provide has become more demanding and complex.
About the Author
Tina Marrelli, MSN, MA, RN, FAAN is the
author of 10 books including “A Guide
for Caregiving: What’s Next? Planning
for Safety, Quality and Compassionate
Care for Your Loved One and Yourself!”
Tina has worked in hospitals, nursing
homes and public health and has
practiced as a visiting nurse in home
care for over 20 years. Tina continues to
make home visits in her capacity as a
consultant to health care organizations
providing care at home as well as
making presentations about caregiving
to various groups. This caregiving
article and its information is about
caregiving from a professional and
personal caregiver’s perspective. Every
person’s health and caregiving situation
is unique, and readers should seek
advice from their medical professionals
before making decisions.
Tina can be reached at
tina@e-Caregiving.com if there are
topics you would like to see addressed.
5. TRY TO BE KIND
6. THANK & RECOGNIZE THE
PEOPLE WHO HELP YOU
/Medicare.gov
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link