November is National Family Caregivers Month. Some may be preparing to raise a holiday toast to the dementia care partner. No eloquently-raised family toast, however, would be received with such gratitude as being offered hands-on assistance!
The simple offering of help would give profound meaning to the words of this holiday – a time for expressing thanks. Especially during COVID, what day would ever be more appropriate for showing compassion and literally placing ourselves in another’s shoes – and in their busy “household traffic pattern”?!
Rising up to offer respite
In the year ahead, what practical hands-on expression of thanks to the caregiver could family members rise up to deliver – year round?
How might offering a schedule of monthly respite help to promote good will – while giving the care partner a break? In a family of five, would each of the four siblings be willing to provide coverage of three shifts per year – either solo or collaboratively? Or hiring a substitute to cover for their shift when it rolls around every fourth month? Would this contribute to a feeling of being in it together?
“Hope is the anticipation of joy”
How might a collaborative strategy for working together turn the experience of one person’s full-time 24/7 “caring” into shared feelings of “joy and privilege” for every family member?
What better time to collaborate on a 2021 schedule than on Thanksgiving Day in person at the extended table? or while Zooming? or during FaceTime?
Would this help to achieve fulfillment for everyone – marching in together with arms linked at the end of the race?
Once the 2021 schedule is finalized, how could raising up a toast to each other for the knowledge of being in it together ever – ever – be more rewarding?
There would be no greater gift.
References:
- Gorrell, A. (2020). Finding joy in 2020? It’s not such an absurd idea, really. ABeautifulVoice.org. Theologian Jürgen Moltmann’s quote on “hope” retrieved from https://theconversation.com/finding-joy-in-2020-its-not-such-an-absurd-idea-really-145993
- Jacobs, B., (2020). Showing thanks to family caregivers [Electronic version]. AARP Magazine. https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/info-2020/showing-thanks-to-family-caregivers.html?intcmp=AE-HP-TTN-R4-POS1-REALPOSS-TODAY
- Jacobs, B., (2020) Siblings getting along to care for aging parents [Electronic version]. AARP Magazine. https://www.aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/info-07-2013/family-siblings-aging-parents-jacobs.html
Posted by: Susan Troyer
Leave A Comment