FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN /
The Soapbox/
Editorial List
It’s been a while since I’ve stood on
this particular soapbox, so forgive me if I am not as subtle
as I could be when I say that the notion that you are no
longer a caregiver when your loved one is living in a care
facility is pure Poppycock! (Please forgive me for the
profanity).
At a recent event, I heard from a
caregiver who had been slapped in the face with this
thoughtless opinion from some of her relatives. So, let me
reiterate, over 90% of all caregiving happens at home, but
once appropriate facility placement is made, you are not
only still your loved ones caregiver, but you may have added
to their lives as well as saving your own. The other thing
you have accomplished is to add members to your loved ones
care team.
As far as I am concerned, you are still
the captain of that team, responsible for seeing that your
loved one receives the best care possible from the facility.
But the value you have added by your carefully determined
decision is the realization that it sure would be nice to be
able to spend some time with your loved one as loving son,
daughter, husband or wife again, as opposed to emergency
medical expert, pharmacist, nutritionist, as well as
incontinence specialist.
Gary Barg
Editor-in-Chief
gary@caregiver.com
