Use the Experts

Welcome to Caregiver Friday!

Everyone knows that being a caregiver/wellness partner can be overwhelming.  I’ve discussed the importance of not trying to reinvent the wheel, leave that to people who are doing big things like curing disease.  It’s time to get real and understand that experts are one more form of the treatment plan.  You try and solve all the problems even though you’re in contact with professionals who could ease your life.  Utilizing the help of the experts can be the equivalent of taking a pill to reduce anxiety or depression and you don’t even have to make the medicine go down.

I’ll give you an example.  If the patient you’re caring for is having mobility problems and is seeing a physical and/or occupational therapist then when you see changes or need advice about homecare…ask the experts.  If you’re enrolling a loved one with dementia in a day treatment program and want to know how to make the transitions between home and the program easier both on you and the patient…ask the experts.  If you’re trying to eat better to feel better and reading the magazines don’t work and you’re working with a nutritionist…ask the experts.  Too many times I hear that you, the caregiver, don’t want to both the professional between appointments.  It’s no bother and believe it or not it makes everyone’s job easier. 

If you let small problems go unattended they become big problems and that doesn’t work to anyone’s advantage.  By asking the experts you avail yourself of focused solutions to the problems that are causing you, the caregiver, the most pain.  It’s time to begin thinking of the experts as part of the care team.  They are your arsenal for physical, emotional, and spiritual relief in the caregiving arena.  When you engage with the experts you can minimize set backs between visits and by keeping the experts in the loop the patient gets better care.  Like Stephen Covey says in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, always create win-win situations.  It’s not just about corporations and business…it’s about the business of life.