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10 Tips for Family Caregivers

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1.    Choose to take charge of your life, and don't let your loved one's illness or disability always take center stage.

2.    Remember to be good to yourself. Love, honor, and value yourself. You're doing a very hard job and you deserve some quality time, just for you.

3.    Watch out for signs of depression, and don't delay in getting professional help when you need it.

4.    When people offer to help, accept the offer and suggest specific things that they can do.

5.    Educate yourself about your loved one's condition. Information is empowering.

6.    There's a difference between caring and doing. Be open to technologies and ideas that promote your loved one's independence.

7.    Trust your instincts. Most of the time they'll lead you in the right direction.

8.    Grieve for your losses, and then allow yourself to dream new dreams.

9.    Stand up for your rights as a caregiver and a citizen.

10. Seek support from other caregivers. There is great strength in knowing you are not alone.

 

Adapted with permission from Oklahoma Family Voices. Reprinted from the National Family Caregivers Association's (NFCA) website with permission of the National Family Caregivers Association, Kensington, MD, the nation's only organization for all family caregivers, 1-800-896-3650; www.nfcacares.org.