Jim Miller writes:
“A couple of years ago I spent quite a bit of time interviewing and photographing hospice families in their homes for a public presentation I was creating. Some of these families had been dealing with caregiving for a dying relative for some time. Others were comparatively new to this role.
“I quickly became aware of what a stressful situation this was for some families, while other families seemed able to take this more in stride. What made the difference? What did some individuals and families learn and know that others did not? In addition to speaking with family members themselves, I also interviewed hospice social workers, chaplains, and nurses.
“I didn’t plan it at the time but those interviews led eventually to a small book that we released recently at Willowgreen: This Time of Caregiving: Words of Encouragement and Hope. Christen Pettit Miller, a hospice chaplain, and I wrote it especially for new family caregivers but in such a way that other caregivers could also find it useful and confirming.
“We isolated twelve basic truths which formed the core of this writing. Written directly for the caregivers themselves, those truths are:
1. If things seem unusual right now, that is really quite usual.
2. It is common to wonder how you can possibly handle all that is now yours to handle.
3. The ways of caregiving are many and varied.
4. While there is much right now that you do not, and cannot, know for sure, answers will come.
5. The age-old advice was never truer: one day at a time.
6. Must you surrender to this experience? Certainly. And absolutely not!
7. You are not alone.
8. While you may feel ill-equipped for this role, chances are that you are better equipped than you think.
9. Wisdom awaits you on all sides.
10. The best caregivers make provisions for their own care.
11. Amid all the ordinary and the practical, your caregiving can also have a sacredness.
12. This time of caregiving can have its own richness.
“Christen and I developed each of these ideas in easy-to-read sections, each of which included the liberal use of quotations. You’ll find exactly what we wrote for the fifth and sixth truths HERE (PDF file).”
This book is available at Willowgreen, Inc. at this LINK.
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