Business As Usual

             Today’s inspiration comes from my work-world, where we discussed a thing called “BAUs” or “Business As Usual”, these are items that don’t require the rigors of change control, because they are standard. As a Caregiver, Gramps and I had some routines that would classify as “BAUs” in the schedule that kept operations going. There were times for getting up in the am, bathing, meals, medicines, and of course, television. There were other things that required more scrutiny and “change control”, such as changes in medications for example.

                Any new medications or changes in the care plan required close attention to how Gramps was feeling and reacting. Thankfully, we didn’t have to add or change things too often, but when we did, I learned about side effects and the importance of keeping in close communication with his doctor and nurses. It’s a good idea to be clear on the risks and side effects before making this kind of change and ask in advance what to do in the event there is an adverse reaction. Should you stop taking it? Call the doctor? What are the next steps? Know this before taking anything new.

                I will share that even our BAUs required effort, and they kept me on my toes. I don’t know if there ever really was a routine that was comfortable and automatic. Each day brought its own challenges, and we were fortunate because Gramps was stable. I know a lot of other Caregivers that, frankly, are in turmoil.

                For all of you, I wanted to offer some tips based on change control. First, start with routines, and what do you need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis to keep things going. Identify them and make a note of what works and what needs to be changed. Do your best to add structure to your life. If a change is required, work closely with your Caregiver team, the doctors, nurses, family, friends, whomever you have available for support, to make sure they are aware of the changes coming. This is part of communication planning, knowing who needs to be responsible v. who just needs to be informed. Then be diligent in monitoring what is going on and how you and your loved one react to the change. Is it working? What’s your fallback plan? Do you have to stop the change all together or modify? Once you make the change, who needs to know it’s done? Taking time to plan and think through these changes will make it easier to get back to BAU.