It Takes a Team

              I wished I approached Caregiving more like a work project, and started at the beginning and came up with a plan. At work, as a project manager, I always have a plan. When I took on care of Gramps, I had no plan. Worse, I had no team. I had no sense of budget. I was nowhere.

                When I start a work project, there are a number of preliminary tasks, “basics”, to get done. We figure out resources, budget, and something we project managers like to call “scope”, with the details of what we plan to do. I often think if I went through my Caregiver experience like a project, I would’ve been better off, starting with discussions on resources and “team formation.” Who is on your Caregiver team? There’s you, your patient/loved one, and who else? Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and healthcare providers can be part of your team. Do you have family members helping? Friends? Neighbors? Church members? Are you paying for home health aides? Housekeepers? Do you have an elderly planning lawyer? A banker? A driving service? Or are you the butcher, baker, and candlestick maker all in one?

                I realized early that I needed help with Gramps. He was paralyzed and in a wheelchair. I had no idea how I was going to help him get up and dressed in the morning. Right away I set out to find a home health aide and called many agencies to find the right person. We were blessed to find a nurse, also named “Janice” but pronounced “Jah-niece”, that helped us. She was a true earth angel and a blessing like no other. She loved Gramps and we loved her. I can honestly say that she came into our life at our lowest point, and a good example of how God provides exactly what or who you need it when you need it (I mean how uncanny that her name was “Janice”!).

                We were able to keep Gramp’s same doctors and nurses that he had for years, so that was helpful because they knew him and his condition. Consistency is important for good health care. The familiar is comforting and really, you develop relationships with these people. They become your support system.

                One of the most important lessons, and again, another “do-over” I would take if given the chance, is that I would create a team to help take care of Gramps. I would ask for help, assign roles and responsibilities, and be clear about what was needed, by whom, and how often. I never did any of this! My recommendation is to ask family and friends for help. Don’t go it alone. If you can afford to pay for the support, even better! Do it! It takes a team to take care of your loved one and it truly is too much for one person to handle. Form your Caregiver team early –don’t wait. You and your loved one will be happy you did.