What can you do to lend a hand?
One of the eight principles I write about in my book —MASTERS of CHANGE— is support.
- Inadequate support —
is often status quo for families with a child with a catastrophic medical diagnosis (and others who are family caregivers).
There are over 53 million caregivers across the USA.
Look over these small and meaningful ways YOU might offer them support:
1. Consistent, simple check-ins.
Letting them know you’re thinking of them breaks up suffocating isolation. It reminds them that they matter, beyond their caretaker role.
2. Make a specific offer to help.
Think of what you can do for them (grocery shopping, pick up / drop off other children, organize living room / pantry / garage). Then ASK if you can do that.
Don’t say “Let me know what I can do.”
That requires work on their part.
It’s hard to prioritize.
They have 5 million things they could use help with.
Make it easy for them to say yes:
- Learn their routine.
- Learn what bugs them.
- Figure out what you’d like to do.
- Make a SPECIFIC OFFER.
3. Hold space by listening without judgment or advice.
Giving a safe space for a person’s pain to be witnessed, without trying to fix anything, is therapeutic and a rare gift.
Even if they ask for solutions, try to guide them back to just expressing what it’s like for them.
— Give them a place to NOT work.
— NOT problem solve.
— To embody not mask their experience.
A space where tears are allowed to flow.
Where it’s safe to express the whole of their life experience.
Where you both put finding answers and solutions on the back burner.
Where it’s okay for fear and pain and suffering to coexist with hope and resilience and slivers of joy.
—.—
Know that caregiving is lonely and isolating.
Having people who dare to join their team makes ALL the difference.
** These suggestions are also great for people experiencing grief and loss.
Want more ideas?
The Caregiver Action Network put together this list https://www.caregiveraction.
—.—
Hi! I'm Julie Browne.
Click my name + follow if you want to learn how to feel more at peace while parenting a child with special needs.
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