Care for the Caregiver: Comfort and Encouragement for the Journey

By Cynthia Hill

As the population ages, it is increasingly likely one will find himself or herself in the role of caregiver of someone elderly, chronically ill, or with a disability. Although it is a role many are unprepared for, it is one that is assumed out of love, necessity, or a combination of both.

Now that you are a caregiver, what do you do? Author Cynthia Hill knows the fear and uncertainty you feel from firsthand experience. In Care for the Caregiver: Comfort and Encouragement for the Journey, Hill discusses topics important to caregivers. You will learn about the importance of respite care, stressors faced by caregivers, getting through the daily routine of caregiving, and how others can help caregivers. She shares how to handle the inevitable difficult decisions caregivers must make. Hill also explains how and why you need to depend on God, the ultimate caregiver. There is a list of suggested hymns that can give you the spiritual uplift needed on those days when you feel youve reached the end of your rope. A list of resources is provided for those who need additional assistance in a specific area.

It takes preparation and perseverance to accomplish what has been set before you. But with the information found in Care for the Caregiver: Comfort and Encouragement for the Journey, you can find peace, confidence, and assurance that you can handle the challenges of caregiving with the application of practical informationand Gods help.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490868172

Cynthia Hill

Cynthia Hill is a graduate of Toronto’s York University (Theatre/English). She was the winner of the Scugog Council for the Arts Literary Competition (Prose) in 2010 for her story, “The Big Thought.” She has also written and edited for several websites and blogs. In her spare time, she works with many community theatre groups.

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Copyright © 2015 Cynthia Hill.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-6816-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6817-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015901386

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/14/2015

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1   Face of the Caregiver

Chapter 2   What Do I Do Now?

Chapter 3   Learn All You Can about the Illness or Condition

Chapter 4   Home Health Care Assistance

Chapter 5   Stressors of Caregiving

Chapter 6   Why Caregivers Need Respite

Chapter 7   How to Help the Caregiver

Chapter 8   God—the Ultimate Caregiver

Chapter 9   Songs of Encouragement and Comfort

Chapter 10   Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Chapter 11   What I Have Learned as a Caregiver

Resources

This book is dedicated to God:

that he would use this book as an instrument

to help those caregivers who want his help.

Also, to the caregivers who:

have completed the journey,

are experiencing the journey,

or will one day face the journey.

This book is also dedicated to the memory

of my family members who

unknowingly taught me the value of forgiveness,

patience and endurance.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NIV).

Preface

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you did not know how to handle? I faced that about thirty-five years ago. It started as a usual evening at home with my grandmother. She stood up at the dinner table and began to slump to the floor. She had suffered a stroke. It left her unable to speak and without the use of her right side. Since that experience I have been a caregiver for five other relatives over the course of more than three decades.

Caregivers provide assistance to someone who is, in some degree, incapacitated and needs help (Family Caregiver Alliance, 2005). The receivers of care live in both residential and institutional settings, and range from children to older adults. Typically, they have a chronic illness or disabling condition and need ongoing assistance with everyday tasks to function on a daily basis (Family Caregiver Alliance, 2006a).

The scope and purpose of this book is to focus on the unpaid caregivers who care for adults and children who are disabled or have a chronic illness and live outside of a professional care facility. It is my intention that this book will provide some practical applications and suggestions to assist the lay caregiver. It is ultimately up to you as the caregiver and others involved with the care receivers health care to decide the best medical options.

I have a threefold purpose for writing this book. First, I want to tell you what you will need to know and can expect in fulfilling the responsibilities of a caregiver. The second reason is to provide resource references to assist you when you need help as a caregiver. The third and most important reason is to show you, the caregiver, a pathway