Someone at your church has been caring for her husband since his stroke, and you only see her for ten rushed minutes after the service. You know what that life looks like because you're living a version of it. Between two caretakers, plenty goes unsaid because it doesn't need to be said. Senior Helpers knows that learning how to support a family caregiver can be as simple as a small kindness that can stay with them for the rest of their days.

Offering Help That Comes With a Day and Time

When you're learning how to support a family caregiver, remember that general offers rarely get taken up. Most family carers won't call you, even if they'd like to. A specific offer is far easier to accept, such as picking up her prescriptions on Thursday or sitting with her husband on Saturday morning while she gets her hair cut. Meals are effective, so delivering a casserole in a disposable pan ensures nothing needs to be returned.

Listening Without Fixing

Learning how to support a family caregiver starts with allowing them talk about the hard parts without rushing to advice. You've probably had people tell you what you should be doing, and you know how tiring that gets. Ask how they're sleeping, how the last appointment went, or what they've been missing lately, and share your own experience a bit.

The Other Person in the House

Isolation affects both people in a caregiving household. The caretaker may have stopped seeing friends, and the parent or spouse receiving care may go days without a new face at the door. A short visit, a phone call, or a card in the mail can brighten an afternoon for someone who rarely leaves home. The National Institute on Aging has more ideas in its staying-connected tips for older adults.

If you're comfortable, offer to visit with the person receiving care for an hour. Bring a deck of cards, a photo album, or news from your neighborhood, and your friend gets an hour to herself while her husband gets fresh conversation with someone who isn't managing his care.

Sharing What You've Learned

Professional care providers collect hard-won knowledge as they go. Maybe you found a support group that meets near your neighborhood, a pharmacist who explains things patiently, or a grab bar that finally made the shower feel safe, and you pass it along.

National groups belong on that list too. You might jot down the Family Caregiver Alliance, with its information and support for family carers, in the margin of a church bulletin for her, along with Caregiver Action Network, which gears its resources toward people caring for a family member.

Recognizing Them During Caregivers Month

November is National Family Caregivers Month, which gives you an easy reason to send a note. Tell your friend what you admire about how she handles things, and mention a specific moment, like how calm she stayed during a hospital visit, and people save cards like that.

How to Support a Family Caregiver Across the Region

Your friend from church may need more than a Saturday morning off. Senior Helpers Lawrence, KS steps in with companionship, personal care, meal preparation, errands, and transportation, which gives family carers room to rest or get to their own appointments. Our caregivers work in Lawrence, Kansas City (Kansas), Leavenworth, Linwood, and Lecompton. Contact us for yourself or for a caretaker you know.