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Roles Reversed - Caring for your parents
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Elizz for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
As a women in my mid 50's I have experienced many different roles so far. Daughter, grand daughter, wife, friend, mother, care-giver. All of these roles had positives and some negatives, and I have been grateful of the experiences. My story is a little different than many women my age, as I was raised by my grandparents. My grandparents were in there late 50's when I came into their lives….just imagine.
As a young women with a baby on my hip I was a caregiver for my grandparents as they aged, struggled with illness and eventually passed away. I was 30 years ahead of my time, as most of my friends are going through the experience of looking after their parents now.
Currently 1 in 4 Canadians are playing the role as a caregiver, and this is expected to rise to 1 in 3 by 2020. Here is a great quiz on the
5 Stages of Caregiving Quiz
I remember the stress of caring for my grandparents and my small children at the same time. I was exhausted and felt that my responsibilities would never end. I hear the same stress in my friends voices as they talk about how they are dealing with their elderly parents and I know how they feel.
There are different levels of care-giving, some that last for a short term and some that are full time responsibilities that can last for years. Wherever you are at, there is help for the caregiver too. The caregiver needs support as well. Just recognizing the cues to burn out is important, knowing when we need help, is essential. A company I have recently heard of called
Elizz offers caregiver coaching, group support, nurse advisor's, online counselling and respite care when you just need to take a break.
There is Joy in Caregiving
Being a caregiver can be very rewarding, the relationship we build with the loved ones we care for, can be a wonderful gift that will stay with us long after the people we care for leave. The opportunity to talk to my grandparents during many of the hours of taking them to appointments and helping around the house, was priceless. There is a joy in being there for people you love, but at the same time we have to make sure to look after ourselves. When I was growing up with my grandparents I never thought that I would one day be looking after them, but it does happen and thank goodness there are places to reach out to to get answers and support when we need it. I love this article about "Finding meaning in caregiving."
https://elizz.com/caregiver-diy/just-for-caregivers/finding-meaning-in-caregiving
Dianna Bowes is the founder of Fabulous@50 and the Creative Director of Be Fabulous! Magazine. Dianna has won numerous awards such as the 2011 YWCA Women of Distinction Award (Turning Point category) 2014 Leaders of Tomorrow Business Award, 2015 Stevie Bronze - Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year. She is a creative soul, who loves connecting people and embracing life. Travel, great food, family, friends and a long bike ride on a sunny day is her definition of great life.
