I take care of myself. I know that if I am not healthy and sound, I cannot care for another person effectively.

I accept that caregiving involves an incredible range of emotions, from anger to joy, from resentment to compassion.

I accept that my feelings are not right nor wrong. And they are as natural and unavoidable as breathing.

I have the right to receive consideration, affection, forgiveness and acceptance from my loved one as long as I offer these qualities in return.

I ask for and accept help willingly. I involve my family, friends and the community in the care of my aging loved one. I understand that it’s not my role to do it all, nor is it best for my loved one.

I actively seek out information that can help me as a caregiver. I recognize that information is empowering.

I respect the preferences and decisions of the older adult I’m caring for. I extend to my loved one the dignity and courtesy I would wish to receive if the tables were turned. I have the right to reject any attempt by my loved one ( either conscious or unconscious ) to manipulate me through guilt, anger or depression.

I recognize that change – good and bad – is a natural part of caregiving for a senior. I remain flexible and open to change.

I celebrate the small successes and allow myself to grieve the disappointments. I share my feelings with those who can empathize.

I am mindful of my own needs and I guard my rights as a caregiver. I do not allow my caregiver’s role to overwhelm the other aspects of my life.

I forgive myself my shortcomings and I congratulate myself for the effort and love I put into my caregiving.

For a new caregiver, working for a caregiver agency offers employee training and job skills. The free caregiver training typically instructs the caregiver on how to perform the caregiver duties such as helping the client with self-care and grooming.

The caregiver training by the agency might include CPR training and certification. The caregiver may learn how to assist a client with limited mobility. Some agencies have a couple weeks of training that must be completed by the caregiver before the caregiver is scheduled to work with the individuals or families.

Some homecare agencies allow the caregivers to administer the client’s prescribed medication. In those cases, the caregiver agency may include training on medication and the necessary paperwork before the caregiver works with clients.

A caregiver may want to work a particular shift. Agencies often schedule their caregivers for the standard first, second, and third shifts. Many times, homecare agencies have openings for different shifts.

Often, a caregiver working with a caregiver agency can stay working their preferred shift though they may be asked to work a different shift occasionally to cover for a caregiver who could not make it to work. If working a private caregiver job for a family, the caregiver may be expected to have a flexible schedule.

A caregiver who has gained work experience with an agency might want to look for a private caregiver job though many caregivers are happy to continue working for a caregiver agency.
Caregivers might decide to further their education and become nurses.
Some nurses enjoy working with a caregiver agency and devoting their time to one client rather than working in a hospital setting or nursing home where they may feel their attention and energy are stretched too thin among many patients.

When the caregiver works for an agency, the caregiver knows what their job duties are and has received training to do them. The caregiver who was hired by the family may not receive clear explanations of the job expectations. This can lead to conflict between the caregiver and the family.

A family may expect the caregiver to keep the walkway and front door clear of snow, ice, or leaves. Some agencies prohibit such outdoor work. Families who need other caregiver duties than those allowed by an agency may need to look for another agency or hire a caregiver privately.

Working with a caregiver agency gives the caregiver some sense of job security. If the family a caregiver is working with decides they no longer want a caregiver, a caregiver working with an agency is likely to have another caregiver job very quickly. However, the caregiver may have to look for a caregiver job and prepare a new resume if the caregiver is not working with an agency.

Individuals hiring caregivers for their families often look for caregivers with experience. A caregiver may be more successful in obtaining a first caregiver job with a caregiver agency. Employment through a caregiver agency would provide training and experience that the caregiver can then use on the caregiver resume to try to get a private caregiver job.

There are benefits to working for a caregiver agency. Though not all home healthcare agencies do, some agencies provide benefits like health insurance whereas the private caregiver job may not.

A home healthcare agency often has restrictions on the duties performed by the caregiver and clear expectations of the caregiver. Some families who hire their own caregivers may not be so clear about what they expect from the caregivers which can lead to some misunderstandings and conflicts.

The caregiver job may offer more flexibility of the schedule or have a more desirable schedule for the caregiver. Most home care agencies use the standard three shifts to schedule caregivers. Some families may wish to have caregivers at different hours than a traditional shift and may hire their own caregivers for that reason.

The family may wish to provide care during certain hours and hire caregivers to cover the other hours. In some cases, hiring a caregiver directly is cheaper than using a caregiver agency.

Families may also wish to hire their own caregivers if they want all the control over who the caregiver is and the applicant screening process. The family or individual hiring a caregiver may want to check the caregiver’s references and talk to previous employers themselves instead of trusting the agency’s screening and hiring practices.

The caregiver may want a live in caregiver position in a location where no caregiver agencies offer such services. A live in caregiver job might be located through the newspapers, job websites, or employment agencies.

The person looking for a private caregiver job should carefully prepare a caregiver resume that highlights any experience, certifications, training, and skills that would make the person an ideal choice for the caregiver job. The person may want to include copies of any training certificates with the resume.

When accepting a private caregiver position, the caregiver may be asked to sign a caregiver contract. The contract might outline the expectations and caregiver duties. A caregiver contract can be a legally binding contract. Therefore, the caregiver should make sure that the contents of the contract are understood and agreeable before signing.

If the individual or family no longer wants the services of the caregiver, the caregiver may suddenly become unemployed and must look for another job. If the caregiver works with a homecare agency, the agency often has other jobs readily available for the caregiver.

The caregiver should be aware of these advantages and disadvantages of a private caregiver job when deciding whether or not to accept a private job or work for an agency.

Training for caregivers can teach the caregiver how to take care of the client or family member and how to take care of themselves so that they don’t suffer from caregiver burnout. Even professional caregivers can become so involved in the care of the client that they neglect their own needs.

Family caregivers may feel pressure to do it all. The caregiver burden can be overwhelming. However, the caregiver must learn to set healthy boundaries and manage stress. If the caregiver develops caregiver burnout, the caregiver may no longer be able to provide care for their loved one.

Classes for family caregivers may be available at a local hospital or non-profit organization. Some of the classes may teach skills such as assisted bathing or medication management. A family caregiver could also benefit from a stress management class even if it is designed for the general public and not exclusively for caregivers.

If a person who wants to become a professional caregiver is searching for classes, the person may want to consider seeking employment with a caregiver agency. The caregiver agencies usually provide their own training.

A caregiver can start a career with a caregiver agency and receive their training and get valuable experience in the field. The knowledge and experience probably will be useful even if the caregiver decides to seek private employment later.

The training offered by a home healthcare agency might include instruction on assisted feeding, bathing, dressing, and helping with other self-care tasks. The agency training is also likely to include information on how to handle emergencies and some laws and state regulations that apply to home healthcare in that state.

The caregiver agency might offer training in CPR or may require that the caregivers become certified through the Red Cross. The caregiver may be taught how to manage a client’s medication if that is part of the job requirement. Many caregiver agencies prohibit the caregiver from administering medication but may allow the caregiver to help remind the clients to take their medications.

Training from an agency may include information that is included in all job training like company policies. The caregiver agency might have strict policies on calling off from work due to the fact that the family is relying on having a caregiver during the scheduled time.

If the caregiver agency manages caregivers for families with children, the training may include extensive information on child rearing similar to what might be covered in a parenting class. The caregiver may need to learn about potty training, a child’s nutritional needs, behavior modification, and activities to do with the child that will help the child learn.

Often, the initial training is just the beginning of learning how to be a caregiver. The caregiver may need to attend on-the-job training and future caregiver classes.

In the United States, caregiver schools are often in the form of workshops or classes offered by hospitals or non-profit organizations. These workshops and classes provide tips for family caregivers and educate them on the resources that are available in the community. The classes may teach about managing stress and avoiding caregiver burnout.

If someone in the United States wants to become a caregiver and receive training to do so, most caregiver agencies provide the necessary training. So, the potential caregiver only needs to seek employment with a caregiver agency in order to become a trained caregiver.

The caregiver agency will train the employee on the caregiver duties that the caregiver is expected to perform. Some caregiver training can help minimize injury such as how to assist someone in and out of a wheelchair without straining the caregiver’s back.

The agency may also instruct the caregiver on helping the person with self-care tasks like assisting a person with bathing. Some agencies allow the caregivers to administer the client’s medications while other agencies prohibit it.

If the agency requires the caregiver to give the appropriate medications to the clients, the agency will train the caregiver on measuring and administering medications at the correct times and the recordkeeping practices related to medications. The agency may teach the caregiver what to do if there is a medication error as well.

In other countries, caregiver schools train people who wish to seek employment as a caregiver in their country or a different one. Some countries have government agencies that oversee the school or training program.

This is similar to the accreditation of a school in the United States. If a college or technical school is accredited in the United States, the student and employers know that the education follows certain guidelines.

If someone is deciding whether or not to attend a school to learn how to be a professional caregiver, the person should consider whether such training would benefit them and if the school is accredited. The person may want to research if such education is necessary for the type of job they wish to acquire.

Some foreign agencies offer jobs as live in caregivers in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Many people seek live in caregiver jobs in the United States in order to be able to attend college there.

Some of these agencies require the caregivers to complete training at a caregiver school or to have several years of experience as a caregiver before they can be accepted into the agency and eligible for placement. Therefore, caregiver schools are important in other countries for the people who want to work as a caregiver.

Though some families prefer to hire their caregivers directly so that they have more control over who will be helping the elderly or disabled family member, caregiver agencies offer many advantages. If the privately hired caregiver does not go to work one day, the person needing care might be stuck without any help. With caregiver agencies, the agency might send a different caregiver if the usual caregiver is unable to make it to work.

A home care agency may have medically trained caregivers such as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) for families who need more medical monitoring and assistance with medication or life-sustaining medical equipment such as feeding tubes. Some homecare agencies only have non-medical caregivers who help with a client’s self-care and housework but are not medically trained to handle medication or medical equipment.

Some home care agencies specialize in providing caregivers for children. The agency might provide for a live in caregiver for child care. Often, an agency will show the family several options for caregivers and allow the families to choose the caregiver.

If a family hires a caregiver through newspaper advertisements or an employment agency, the family may have costs associated with advertising and background checks. Home healthcare agencies screen their employees, complete background checks, and provide training for their caregivers. The family may want to ask the agency about their employee screening process.

Using an agency takes much of the stress of managing care off of the family. The family doesn’t need to worry about scheduling caregivers to cover the time that the family needs the caregiver. The agency handles the payroll and taxes.

A caregiver from an agency may not be allowed to perform certain tasks. Some agencies have restrictions prohibiting their caregivers from doing chores like yard work or anything that would require them to use a ladder.

Many people struggle with feelings of a lack of privacy when a caregiver is working in the home. The family may feel that this is a bigger problem when using a caregiver from an agency who might talk to others in the agency about the family.

If the caregiver is not providing satisfactory care or the family is unhappy with the caregiver for any reason, the family can speak to the agency and ask for a different caregiver. If the family had hired the caregiver privately, the family would have to fire the caregiver and go through the process of hiring a new one.

Families who need caregivers often have a great deal of stress while they are trying to provide care themselves and find caregivers. Even though the family may not have all the control over the hiring and management of a caregiver hired through an agency, they may appreciate the services that the agency provides in order to reduce the stress of needing a caregiver.

When a senior needs help with self care tasks such as bathing and dressing as well as housework, a relative might step in and provide assistance. Sometimes, the family caregiver expects too much of themselves and attempts to care for all of the relatives needs. The caregiver may try to do too much on their own and end up suffering from this exhaustion.

A caregiver might have expected the aging relative to benefit greatly from their care. The caregiver may be disappointed that their increased involvement did not improve the health of the senior. Caregivers may have additional strain of not having enough money or resources to provide the care that they wish to provide.

Some family caregivers have the burden of watching their loved one’s health get progressively worse. Therefore, the caregiver job can carry emotional turmoil as well as the physical drain of providing care. To make matters worse, the caregiver job is often a thankless one. A caregiver may feel unappreciated and may get criticized much more frequently than the caregiver is praised.

Feeling stressed at times is normal when working as a caregiver for a family member or client. If the occasional feelings of caregiver stress become overwhelming and more frequent, the caregiver may want to take steps to avoid the situation from becoming worse and leading to burnout.

The caregiver suffering from burnout may begin feeling tired more often and develop a change in attitude towards their caregiver duties. Burnout in caregivers may cause changes in sleep and eating habits. The person may become irritable and even have feelings of depression, hopelessness, or helplessness.

A caregiver who is experiencing burnout might get sick more often than usual. They might start avoiding friends and family. The caregiver might develop feelings of wanting to hurt themselves or the person for whom they are providing care.

Often, a caregiver will not recognize these as symptoms of burnout. Instead of accepting these symptoms as a sign to get help, the caregiver may feel guilty for not being able to do it all.

To help prevent burnout, the caregiver should get help with their caregiver duties. An adult day program can give the family caregiver time during the day to pursue their own interests, rest, and be socially active. Hiring a caregiver may be an option for providing care for part of the day or night.

If the caregiver has developed burnout and cannot carry on with the caregiver job at the present time, the family may want to consider hiring caregivers with the help of a caregiver agency to give the family caregiver time to recover from the burnout. The family may also want to consider placing the elderly relative in a nursing home or assisted living temporarily.

The physical challenges of being a caregiver can be quite demanding. A caregiver may need to help someone in and out of the bathtub. If the person uses a wheelchair, the caregiver often helps the person to get in and out of the wheelchair as necessary. Many caregivers develop back problems from the heavy lifting that is required.

In addition to helping the client with mobility, the caregiver may have physical demands related to helping with the housework. Laundry, cleaning floors, cooking, and general housework all require energy and some physical exertion. More demanding tasks such as yard work and shoveling snow may also be required.

Being a caregiver is usually different from working other jobs. Many jobs allow for the employees to have breaks and lunch periods to be able to step away from the job for a period of time. Many caregivers do not have that opportunity. Caregivers, especially family caregivers, do not get much time away from their caregiver burdens.

Family caregivers may have financial and social burdens as well. The family member who is caring for an aging relative may have the financial strain of paying for the relatives medication and medical care as well as the person’s living expenses. If professional caregivers or nurses are hired at least part-time, the family may need to pay for those services.

A caregiver in the family who used to spend time with friends or engage in other social activities may no longer have the time to do so. Even if the family member has time for social activities, the caregiver may be reluctant or unable to leave the aging relative alone. This diminishment of social activities can cause feelings of isolation which add to the caregiver’s burden.

The burden of being a caregiver causes significant stress that can lead to health problems and depression. The demands on the caregiver and the effects of those demands can vary greatly. According to the Canadian Study of Health and Aging, caregivers of family members with dementia are twice as likely to require medications for depression or anxiety and be more affected by chronic illness than caregivers of relatives who do not suffer from dementia.

Caregivers can help themselves to avoid the effects of the burden. When possible, a caregiver should ask for help or hire a professional caregiver at least part-time to give the family caregiver a break.

If the caregiver has become isolated from friends and other family members, the person should make an effort to reconnect with friends and engage in the social activities the caregiver used to enjoy. The caregiver should try to make arrangements to allow for someone else to care for the relative for a period of time on a regular basis to give the caregiver some personal leisure time.

The Family Caregiver Alliance has online support groups for family caregivers. These support groups can be accessed on their website. They also provide a wealth of information about topics related to caregiving and resources for caregivers in the United States.

A practical form of support for caregivers is to get help with the caregiver duties. A family caregiver may want to hire a professional caregiver part-time to give the family caregiver some personal time. Often, a family caregiver takes on the caregiver responsibilities without limiting their other obligations.

By doing this, the caregiver loses the personal time that they had before becoming a caregiver. This can be detrimental as it makes the person more prone to the having elevated levels of caregiver stress which can lead to caregiver burnout. Getting a caregiver to come into the home on at least a part-time basis can give the caregiver some much needed rest or leisure time to help combat the effects of stress.

Another option is to take advantage of resources in the community. Some communities have day programs for seniors. A senior day program allows the senior to spend time doing activities out of the house and gives the family caregiver some free time.

Sometimes, a caregiver needs to be able to discuss their frustrations and caregiver burden with others who understand the situation. Caregivers can also begin to feel isolated if they are focused on caring for an aging relative. Taking time to meet with friends can be important to maintain the sense of feeling connected to others and feeling supported.

Caring for an aging relative such as a parent can be an emotional situation. The caregiver may have mixed feelings about their new responsibilities and how their life has changed in order to provide care. The caregiver may be feeling some resentment towards the aging relative at times that the caregiver feels overwhelmed or stressed.

If the family caregiver is having a difficult time dealing with the stress of being a caregiver or facing the mortality of the aging relative, the caregiver’s feelings can be intense and difficult to cope with. Sometimes it can be beneficial to discuss feeling associated with the aging relative with a professional counselor or therapist.

A family caregiver may need to be honest about their limitations and ask other family members for support. The family members may be able to share more of the responsibilities or help arrange for a professional caregiver to help with the caregiver burden.

There are a number of supports for family caregivers. The caregiver may feel guilty for not being able to handle all the caregiver duties all the time on their own. It’s important for the caregiver to seek and accept help when necessary to avoid caregiver burnout which can cause the caregiver to not be able to help care for the relative.

The Caregiver Online Group is a caregiver support group sponsored by the Family Caregiver Alliance. This Internet group is unmoderated. In this caregiver support group, family caregivers can discuss their stress and frustrations as well as the positives of being a caregiver for a family member.

There is also a support group for people caring for people diagnosed with Huntingdon’s disease. People who have been diagnosed with Huntingdon’s and their friends, family, and professionals working with people with Huntingdon’s disease are welcome to participate in this online support group.

People suffering from Parkinson’s disease or other movement disorders as well as those assisting or treating those individuals are also invited to participate in the Huntingdon’s disease support group. This group is called the Huntingdon’s Disease and Movement Disorders Online Group and is moderated by a registered nurse who is experienced with Huntingdon’s disease.

This caregiver organization also has an online support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered caregivers who are caring for relatives with chronic health problems. This online caregiver support group is called the LGBT Caring Community Online Support Group.

There is also an online support group specifically for clients of California’s Caregiver Resource Centers called Link2Care Support Group. This and the other online caregiver support groups mentioned here are accessible through the organization’s website.

Their website includes other valuable resources such as fact sheets on caregiver topics, information about being a family caregiver, and personal stories. Teleconference audio clips are available for listening. The fact sheets are about health conditions, legal issues, statistics and demographics, and caregiving issues and strategies.

Many of the resources are available in other languages in addition to English. Fact sheets are available in Spanish and Chinese. The website includes a map of the United States that can be clicked to show the government and nonprofit resources for caregivers that are available in that state.

Besides providing information and caregiver support, this organization runs the National Center on Caregiving. The National Center on Caregiving provides research and analyses of legislation and social trends affecting caregivers in the United States.

The National Center on Caregiving also publishes free newsletters and reports about caregiving. The newsletters are called The Newsletter of the Technical Assistance Centers, Caregiving Policy Digest, Connections, and Newslink. People are able to subscribe to the newsletters on the website. Newslink is a newsletter for Link2Care members.

More information about caregiving in the press and public policy is available on the website’s press room page including statistics and helpful information about juggling caregiving and a career. Workshops and classes are offered by this organization for caregivers. This organization dedicated to helping family caregivers accepts donations through its website.