I know, and you know, that when you begin to care for a family member, you can feel like you’ve entered a foreign country where you don’t speak the language or understand the customs. You don’t know what is right in front of you or where this journey will take you.
I think what we all want, more than anything is an understanding of how to navigate the total caregiving experience.
In this episode I dive into a topic I learned about, back in 2017 when I was training to become a Certified Caregiving Consultant and that is the concept of The Caregiving Years, developed by a former caregiving mentor, Denise M. Brown, that she has turned into a book, The Caregiving Years. While other books focus on your family member or friend who needs your help and care, this book focuses just on you and what you need to manage the experience of caregiving.
The book categorizes caregiving into six stages, from when you first worry that a family member needs care to after caregiving ends. The stages Denise has identified help you answer these questions: Why me? Why now? What now? so you can focus on what YOU need to manage the experience of caregiving. The book also offers tips to help you navigate the bad days, the difficult decisions and the overwhelming emotions.
Because caregiving can be such a complicated experience, I share Denise's simple coping strategies, wrapped in a keyword and a purpose, along with an action plan she lays out to help guide you through each stage of the caregiving years.
After listening to the episode, my goal is to help you understand where you currently are and where you are headed in your caregiving journey. I also want to provide a realistic perspective of caregiving while showing that you will make it through and be better for it. I know I am after my 10-year care journey.
If you are interested in reading more about the The Caregiving Years, you can find Denise's book on Amazon here.
And if you want to learn how to become more empowered during your caregiving experience
and learn how to transform it into your next opportunities, click here to learn more about Denise's The Caregiving Years Training Academy.
Where we can connect:
Join the Young Life Interrupted Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/younglifeinterrupted
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/young-life-interrupted-a-podcast-for-young-caregivers/id1578015965
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE YOUNG CAREGIVER SURVIVAL GUIDE:
Your Cliffs Notes guide to surviving (& thriving) while caregiving. Whether you're preparing to care, new to your caregiving role or a seasoned caregiver, these tips will help save you time, energy and regret throughout your care journey. This guide includes simple yet effective strategies to prepare & support you through the challenging times.