Caregiver Resources

Recognizing one’s role as a family caregiver seems like an obvious initial step in the caregiving journey. However, a surprising number of people skip this integral first phase, diving right into their elder care responsibilities.

You will learn to recognize when an aging loved one needs additional help, how to distinguish between the changes caused by “normal aging” and changes that could signify that something worse is wrong with an elder, and uncover valuable insights about the four main categories of family caregivers.

When an Elderly Loved One Needs Extra Help

Family members of aging adults typically travel one of two paths to becoming a caregiver: the sudden sprint, or the gradual march. The sudden sprint towards providing care for a loved one is often set off by an unexpected event-a stroke, a fall, complications surgery-which acts as a catalyst, escalating your family member’s care needs practically overnight.

The gradual march in the direction of caregiving is less abrupt. You can’t say exactly when it begins, but you’ve started noticing little changes in how your family member interacts with the world around them. Perhaps they’re getting lost while driving to the grocery store, or they are having trouble keeping track of their medications, or balancing their checkbook- tasks they’ve performed countless times over the years, without any problem.

Whether the change is sudden or gradual, there are certain signs you can look for that indicate when your loved one is having trouble attending to their own needs.

If your family member is consistently exhibiting the kinds of actions and behaviors outlined to the right, they may soon be in need of extra care.