11/28: Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers, Caregiving With Your Siblings, and Pathways to Effective Communication for Healthcare Providers and Caregivers
November 28, 2015
Beyond the most intimate physical dimensions of providing care for a loved one, informal caregivers often struggle with the attendant issues of communication in caregiving, ranging from managing complex family relationships to establishing routines of self-care to navigating the unfamiliar dynamics of working alongside healthcare professionals.
Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) has created brief, informative Fact and Tip Sheets, designed to address issues caregivers often face and to offer solutions to these often stressful concerns. Select FCA Fact Sheets are available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese, in addition to English.
FCA updates these documents often to reflect new information and resources available to caregivers. New or revised Fact and Tip Sheets — 40 of which are now available on the Fact and Tip Sheets resource page — are indicated by a title in bold font for easy identification and access.
Featured today are three new or revised fact sheets to aid family caregivers as they develop their skills in communicating with the varied individuals who may occupy the landscape within which they provide care to a loved one. The first details how to identify barriers to personal self-care and provides caregivers with concrete tools, such as strategies for managing stress and asking for and accepting help, so they can take better care of their own needs and desires. The second describes strategies for caregiving with one’s siblings, including information on how to navigate family roles and the emotional needs of caregivers and care recipients, alike. The third explains ways in which caregivers can prepare for critical conversations with healthcare providers in a various care settings and situations including medical appointments, emergency rooms, and hospital discharge.
— Vellore Adithi, Policy Intern, FCA/NCC