Tools of Empowerment for Family Caregivers

In October 2021, I did a presentation at the NAMI California annual conference entitled Tools of empowerment for family caregivers. Click link https://youtu.be/BPzNL2qklV8

This blog is a quick summary of that presentation. The resources listed here are for caregivers of the mentally ill, but the same principles apply for any caregiver.

Caregiving isn’t easy and there may be days that you want to through in the towel. Having the right tools to assist in your caregiving can make all the difference in the world. How do you maintain your peace of mind as you care for your loved one? How do you be a great caregiver without losing yourself in the process and smile while doing it? By using the Tools of Empowerment listed below.

So, what are these Tools of empowerment? They are: Education, resources, support and self-care. These tools will help you on your caregiving journey. Let’s look at them one at a time.

The first Tool of Empowerment is Education- As you educate yourself, look for reputable sources such as information from government organizations and articles and research from universities. I try to read pamphlets that I get from the doctor or articles that are peer reviewed or scholarly articles. Peer reviewed and scholarly articles tend to be very sciency but there is good information and most are evidenced based not just hearsay.

Understanding the illness, understanding the symptoms, understanding side effects of the medication is not only educational but can help keep your loved one healthy. How do you get educated?

· Read books, pamphlets and articles about your loved ones illness

· Ask lots of questions at Doctor appointments

· Go to classes

· Go to conferences

The second Tool of Empowerment is Resources – Where do you find resources? Mental health services vary by city, county and state making it difficult to find resources but it’s important to find them because the right resources can help alleviate your fear, frustration and hopelessness by knowing where to go for help. Here are a few places to begin to look for Resources.

· Primary Care Doctor

· Psychiatrist

· Therapist

· Social Worker

· County Department of mental health/behavioral health

· National organizations, and websites

· NAMI (National Association on Mental illness)

The third Tool of Empowerment is Support. Because of stigma, we are silent and don’t ask for help. Or we think we can “handle it” on our own. But never be hesitant to ask for support or help. We never know when or who we will need in a crisis situation. Below are a few suggestions of who you can reach out to.

· Support Groups

· Therapy

· Coaching

· Family and Friends

· Neighbors

· Religious organizations

The last and in my opinion the most important Tool of Empowerment is Self-Care. Being a caregiver is not easy. You need a strong foundation to keep going each day. In a report done by AARP it states that 23% of caregivers state that “their own health has gotten worse” since becoming a caregiver. Take care of yourself. Start with the basics, eat, sleep, exercise. There is a wealth of information in the NAMI presentation that I mentioned above as well as Caregivers Haven Podcast. See below.

· NAMI conference presentation https://youtu.be/BPzNL2qklV8

· Caregivers Haven Podcast - Back to the basics of self-care series – Episodes 18-22

Episode 18 – Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/4jnjwtxh

YouTube - https://youtu.be/b-keihgzGPw

Episode 19 - Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/ym5tt9dc

YouTube - https://youtu.be/KP4RSm5r7O4

Episode20 – Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/yc85aew9

YouTube - https://youtu.be/VnXpyf-odIU

Episode 21– Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/3xz7bk5m

YouTube - https://youtu.be/ehW2csKDlaQ

Episode 22 – Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/4ms7cvkd

YouTube - https://youtu.be/FQNvFvqLbcQ

Happy Caregiving,

Saundra