A note to my visitors...
I
plan to finish this entire multi-page section in 2010. Thank you for your patience. Please
visit again.
Support
for the Grieving Caregiver
An individual doesn't get cancer, a family does. Terry
Tempest Williams
As the U.S. population ages, many adults find themselves taking care of
their own families and elderly parents at the same time, often referred to as The Sandwich Generation; or, caring for an ill spouse while employed outside the home. The Long Goodbye will look at the unique grief of
people in the primary caregiver role, or those faced with the agony of watching a loved one die slowly from chronic illness.
Topics include: anticipatory grief, compassion fatigue, chronic sorrow, caring for self while caring for another, complex emotions after the death of your loved one, healing in the aftermath of loss and a page of caregiver resources.
On
a personal note...
As a registered nurse, I took care of people for a living.
I have been a family caregiver twice and there is no comparison to professional nursing. It was harder for me to care for
someone I love. My husband was disabled and unable to work for two
years. I was his primary caregiver. My father was ill at home for three years before he died. During the last months of his
life, I made the 260-mile round trip once a week to give respite to my mother and sister.
During both of these periods of care giving, I was exhausted and distracted. In retrospect, I realize
three things: 1) I wasn't taking care of myself, 2) it was difficult to attend to my own emotional well-being and be a caregiver
at the same time, and 3) I thought I was alone. And so, The Grieving Caregiver was born. We teach best what we need
to know. I hope the information and insights help you. I wish you peace.
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