The Art of Co-Caregiving
You may ask what is Co-Caregiving? In order to answer that, let’s take a moment to look at the definition of another familiar term.
“Co-parenting is an enterprise undertaken by parents who together take on the socialization, care, and upbringing of children for whom they share equal responsibility.” - United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989
Granted there are some major differences in the terms, but the overall concepts are the same. Co-Caregiving is an enterprise undertaken by independent adults coming together to care, socialize, maintain the health and safety of a mutual interest for whom they share equal responsibility.
Now that we have an understanding of what it is let’s talk about how we can do it.
Communication Good communication is the backbone of Co-Caregiving. Looking for new opportunities to expand and strengthen the bonds of communication within the co-caregiving circle will increase the quality of care that can be provided. Here are a few helpful ideas about ways to increase the quality of your communication within the Co-Caregiver circle:
Establish an email address that is specially meant for all things to do with caring for the patient/loved one. This is the email that should be used for every health portal. It will be established, on file at all of the patient’s doctor’s offices, used for Co-Cargiving communication updates and information sharing. All caregivers should have this email account saved on their phones so that it’s easy to access.
Using the email account, create a joint calendar. All of the patient’s appointments should be added to this calendar.
Monthly video conference for all Co-Caregivers for information sharing, planning, and connection. When appropriate the Patient/loved one should be present during these meetings.
Embrace the Differences that Co-Caregivers Bring to the Table Just because a Co-Caregiver does it differently doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Celebrate the differences that each member brings to the table. Here are some ways that you can do this:
Don’t compare, and don’t let the Patient compare either
If you like something that the Co-Caregiver is doing be quick to compliment them, when possible do it in front of the Patient
If you have to disagree with a Co-Caregiver DON’T do it in front of the Patient. Work hard to always be a united front
Assess for Signs of Caregiver Strain
No matter how much you love your Patient, caregiving can pose a strain to the best of us. It is going to happen. One of the advantages of Co-Caregiving is that you have a built in support group. Use it! Be open and honest with your Co-Caregiver Circle and let them know when you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or depressed. Periodically, use assessment tools that measure “caregiver strain”, and no matter what the results of your assessment are, make the commitment to share them with your Co-Caregivers and when appropriate with the Patient. https://www.healthinaging.org/tools-and-tips/caregiver-self-assessment-interactive
DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG IS GIVING MEDICAL SUGGESTIONS, WHICH CANNOT REPLACE MEDICAL TREATMENT. IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF URGENT MEDICAL CARE DO NOT DELAY TREATMENT. SEEK TREATMENT NOW.
