THE CAREGIVER'S 911: ORGANIZATION TIPS AND TOOLS
As caregivers, time always seems to be our enemy. Personally, I often felt like a failure because I didn’t finished my list of things I had planned for the day. Try as I might, at the end of the day I had barely made a dent in my list of things to get done. I was beginning to feel like the hamster in a cage, running round and round and getting nowhere fast. I would be tired in the morning when I woke up thinking all the things I had to do, and tired when I went to bed thinking of all the things I didn’t get done.
It dawned on me I was on the road to crash and burn if I didn't make some changes in my routine - and quickly. I also realized that if I didn’t make some changes it would would not only affect me, but my mom's quality of care. So, I grabbed a note pad and a cup of tea and begin to trace the steps of my daily schedule. Then it dawned on me, my conflict was two-fold:
First - I had to realize that the job of caregiving is just that: a job – whether you are getting paid for it or not doesn't matter.
Second - Like any job, it comes with requirements and responsibilities that involve organization, planning, and time management, and in order to get the best results and provide best quality care for my mom for and for yourself, I needed to you have a plan.
HABITS
Many times, without actually realizing it, we fall into habits that are impractical and unnecessary and a waste of time. After thinking about my daily routine, I realized I was wasting a lot of time going back over things I had already done and looking for things that should have been easy to locate. For example, at meal time, having to go back and forth to the kitchen for items I should have had on the tray the first time around, simply because I didn’t take the time to organize what I needed in the beginning.
When I looked at how I was wasting energy and time overall thru out my day, I broke it down into the 5 categories that were critical in providing quality care for my mom. They included: cooking, laundry, house cleaning, medications and paperwork. To be sure there are many more I could have included and maybe your daily routine has more or less, but these were the biggies for me each day.
Finally, I remember reading a book entitled “The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer, fifth edition” - By Nancy L. Mace, M.A., and Peter V. Robins, M.D., M.P.H. Their title hit the nail right on the head, and actually in my opinion, they could have added a few hours to the mix.
Also, in today’s world becoming a caregiver is not just for seniors any more. The need for care can range from newborn to the elderly and everything in-between, The health issues of the person being cared for may stem from injury, illness or disease, but the one similarity, in my opinion, is the caregiver’s role. And from my experience, a plan is essential for a caregiver, otherwise you'll be a basket-case in no time at all.
In my next blog, I’m going to share the 5 tips and tools that I found helpful in saving time and energy, and yet kept me ahead of the game in providing quality care to my mom.
Be Well - Stay Well - Because Caregivers Need Care Too!!
Coach Gloria
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Life Strategies/Wellness Coach & Patient Advocate
Owner: GJ Brown & Associates
Blog: Glo’s Caregiver Wellness Connection
Email: gbrown1gjba@gmail.com
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