If I know how to make a caregiver’s life easier, then I would definitely share it to the world – and without reservations. However, caregiving is never an easy task. It requires your all and honestly, there’s too much emotion at play in caregiving especially if the senior you are taking care of is someone close to you – that is, a family member or a partner.

However, there are caregiving tips and tricks that might help you in starting your caregiving duties and make your load a little lighter:

* Start your own copy of your senior’s medical journal. While it is extremely important for your senior to have their complete copy of medical records, it is also necessary for you to have your own “backup” copies just so you can go over them when need be and never miss a thing. Even photocopied ones count.
* Take regular breaks. Your senior won’t just drop dead if you leave them to someone else, say, one afternoon a week. This is to allow yourself sometime to rest and just do whatever you would like to do without worrying about someone else. This will save you your sanity as well. You don’t even have to leave your house if you don’t feel like it. Just have someone else to mind your senior for you during your break.
* Don’t look back. Once you’re in, the only way is to go forward. Although “wishing” may help you cope with all those disappointments and frustrations, it can also lead to more pains, so be realistic enough to accept that this is what’s happening now and there’s no way you can bring back the past.
* Seek help – even if you “remotely” need it. The feeling of not being alone on this can actually improve your caregiving days. Having someone to catch your back will surely boost your morale that no matter how hard it would be, you have someone to take charge if the situation gets too hard for you.
* Keep your legal papers in order. Surely you would like to be formally informed of your rights over your senior – and have something to show if need be. That is, if you get to decide on medical matters if and when your senior is no longer capable of doing these things. Of course it is important for your name to be written down and properly recognized by the doctor and the hospital.
* Get some love too. Never ever ignore yourself. From the everyday stress that it has been getting from caregiving, it deserve some taking care of too so never forget to give it some well-deserved r&r from time to time.