Evelyn Dove Coleman: Care Givers

It seems as though every family has or has had a person who became a caregiver at some point. Some took care of a disabled or a sick sibling, parent, or child for some period of time. To me, care-giving requires a special type of person. If you know someone who has been one, raise your hand.

I have known several, and they all share special traits.  The ones I have known are compassionate and patient. They seem to intuit the patient's needs even if the patient doesn't express them.  I guess they think of what they would want if they were the patient.

And, when they feel tired, they keep on going until someone comes to relieve them.

Relief to a care-giver can be large like taking care of the patient for the weekend or it can be small such as delivering a meal for the patient and sitting for a while.  I have known some people to mail gift cards from afar.  Others send over a cleaning service and pay for it. There are certainly other  ways to assist the care-givers around us. Sincerely ask them "How can I help?" and see what they say. They may need something as simple as a nap while you watch out for their loved one.

The news just carried a story about the actor Danny Glover having been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease for several years. His daughter is his caregiver.  One of the pictures in the news story showed Glover and extended family standing around the kitchen counter with stacks of plates and utensils beside a row of orange juice bottles. They were preparing for a family meal buffet style. Sounds like the kind of social gathering that lifts the spirit of the patient and the caregiver.