The Goldton at Adelaide
Newsletter

1. Learn to Communicate Effectively
Communication is key, both with your loved one and their medical team. If you’re caring for a loved one with a terminal illness (or even a disease like dementia), they will likely have a medical team or multiple doctors working with them. Learning to communicate with these doctors is essential as a caregiver. This will help you understand what you need to provide for your loved one, how you can aid in their care, and will allow you to advocate for them if need be.

As well as doctors, learning to communicate with your loved one is incredibly important too. Perhaps they’ve lost touch with their verbal skills, or just don’t have the right words to say. Maybe you now need to rely on gestures to communicate with them effectively. Just be patient with them, and realize that they’re doing their best – just like you are.

2. Take Care of YOU
Making time for self-care can be difficult, especially when it becomes your first instinct to put the person you are caring for above all.

This could mean actively checking in with yourself every day, making sure you see your doctor and reducing personal stress. Caregiving takes a toll on caregivers, but it’s important to make sure your mental and physical health are priorities – you won’t be able to care for your loved one if you’re not healthy.

“Give yourself permission to ask for a break. We need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of someone else. I enlisted the help of my family who were willing. Never force someone to be a caregiver, that only breeds resentment.”

“Ensure you take time to find joy in every day. Do something for yourself. Find a way to feed your mind, body and soul each day. Take a walk. Play music you enjoy. Keep people close to you that lift you up.”

“Rest and feed your body! If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your loved one. When people ask if they can help, let them. It’s ok to not do it all yourself. Your loved one would want you taking care of yourself.”

3. Acknowledge Your Loved One’s Limitations
Your loved one may struggle with activities that they used to find enjoyable or be able to do themselves. For example – they may no longer be able to dress themselves or use the bathroom. Perhaps they may need help with bathing. No matter the task, it’s important to understand these limitations and to still treat them as the person that they are – not as a patient.

Even if they are unaware of the ongoing tasks you complete for them or can only recognize you when you’re touching their hand, know that even with their limitations, they are still the person you love and cherish.