Hope for the Caregiver

Caregiver Identity Theft

Individuals and family members show great wisdom when subscribing to various products and safeguards that protect against data breaches. Yet an overlooked “identity theft” exists for family caregivers. Virtually all caregivers find themselves struggling to speak in their voice.

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Resistance Is Inevitable

While boundaries remain critical to healthy relationships, they sometimes develop on faulty information or impaired thinking. Caregivers inevitably collide with such boundaries while caring for loved ones. These flawed boundaries may look like resisting rehab for injuries and/or addiction issues, refusing medications, respecting others’ time, or a whole host of other issues.

Confronting those disputes requires deftness and wisdom from caregivers—particularly when a loved one is “dug in” behind years of stubbornness. Sometimes, all that’s needed is to clearly explain consequences of behaviors.

But when confronting someone with addiction or impairment issues for example, all many caregivers can do is provide buffers to minimize the damage while remaining at safe distances as circumstances deteriorate. In other cases, a caregiver must often bite her tongue and learn to like the taste of blood as a loved one experiences the outcome of stubbornness.

Trying to force a solution against the will or boundaries of another usually ends in conflict and failure. Despite resistance or even desired results, we can learn to be at peace with our powerlessness over others’ boundaries—and instead focus on maintaining our own.

www.hopeforthecaregiver.com

This Gives Perspective and Meaning To The Moment

In the day to day struggles of caregiving, we often find ourselves yearning to "get out of the moment." Yet, this phrase from a friend helped me stay present - even when the present is uncomfortable. 

I referenced several songs I wrote in this episode from our broadcast - you can learn more about them here: www.hopeforthecaregiver.com/music

Hiding Place

From our nationally syndicated broadcast 9/25/2021. 

 

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Can We Retrain Our Minds as Caregivers?

Of course we can retrain our minds! The only questions are: 

1. Do we want to?
2. How?

In this bonus monologue, we discussed this issue for family caregivers. 

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Peter‘s Interview by Bram Floria of Compassion Radio

My friend Bram Floria recently asked me to join him on two part-interview for Compassion Radio. Bram and I unpacked quite a few things in this conversation about suffering, anxiety, and God's provisions. 

For more information about Compassion Radio, visit www.compassionradio.com

 

”But in this world, bones will still break.”

"I make a way for people to access that Kingdom. But in this world, bones will still break, hearts will still break, but in the end the light will overcome darkness."  - from the Chosen, season 2

 

In this episode, we discussed a familiar hymn with a verse that's perfect for those struggling with difficult things. 

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. 

 

Gracie sang that hymn with me Sunday in the hospital as she recovers from a broken femur (and her 81st surgery) due to a recent fall.  We've had our share of falls and "load of care," but we live to sing about it and face another day - until we arrive in that Kingdom where "...sorrow and sighing will flee away."

 

www.hopeforthecaregiver.com