Stresses of Caregiving
We live at a time when medicine has improved to a point where most Americans can expect to live to 80 years or more. That’s a 30 year increase from the beginning of the last century. The flip side of these medical advances is that many elders face some kind of chronic disability, and these disabilities often require care from a family member. The most common chronic situation afflicting older Americans are arthritis or declining hearing or vision–all of which require assistance to get through a normal day.
We tell others that everything will be okay when they experience life-altering situations. The truth is that it is hard to understand their plight. It sounds nice to say something when someone is hurting, but saying the wrong thing can be just as bad as saying nothing at all. Instead of speaking words devoid of meaning, show that you know how that person feels. A loved one needs to know that someone is trying to see things from their perspective.
