On a daily basis we at Oliver’s Funeral Home have the absolute honor and privilege of meeting with family members who have cared for their aging spouse, parents, or perhaps a terminally ill loved one. We are inspired by their stories of service, sacrifice, and testimony of love. Caregivers have many important roles in the life of those they care for.
7 Roles of a Caregiver
- Advocate: Those we are caring for often need assistance asking the right medical, financial and other questions. A family caregiver makes sure a loved one is not alone when facing tough decisions.
- Nurse: Doctor appointments, daily meds, symptom monitoring, aches and pains, caregivers are there to help.
- Consoler: When a loved one is frustrated, exhausted, and needs a moment to vent, a family caregiver listens and helps provide emotional support.
- Companion: Caregivers help their loved one avoid loneliness, playing cards, reading or watching television.
- Helper: Caregivers carry out the everyday tasks that still need to tended to; shopping, cleaning, pulling weeds, managing the household while assisting their loved ones with activities of daily living.
- Chef: Whether a loved one can no longer make meals or the doctor has ordered a new diet, a caregiver is often the one who cooks for the entire family.
- Merrymaker: When aging or illness brings a loved one down, a caregiver helps keep spirits high, offering hope, smiles, even though, sometimes, their own spirits are hurting too.
Do you know of a caregiver? Caregivers need to hear words of encouragement, affirmation, that what they’re doing matters and counts. Perhaps you could offer to cook a meal, or cover a shift with the loved one, allowing the caregiver a much-needed break, assist with some house chores, or pick up a coffee or tea for the caregiver and stop by for a visit.
At Oliver’s Funeral Home – we respectfully salute all our caregivers; (family, friends, nurses, doctors) – they truly are our community’s unsung heroes.
Nominate A Caregiver!
Nominate a Caregiver that you know, and they could win a $100 gift certificate to The Keg.
Visit https://www.oliversfuneralhome.com/nominate-a-caregiver/ to enter.
Winner will be announced on January 31, on Oliver’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/olivers.funeral.home
