Page 23 - Leisure Living Magazine July 2018

After Caregiving: What Now?
By Theresa Bowen, Ph.D., Email - theesajb@gmail.com
In the mid-
dle to late stage
of caregiving
for an Alzhei-
mer’s patient
the caregiver’s
life revolves
around con-
stantly caring
for their loved
one. Alzheimer’s
patients in the
late stages re-
quire help with
dressing, eating, and even walking. When you are confronted with especially challenging days imag- ining what it will be like after your loved one pass- es is a normal reaction and a form of anticipatory grief. When our loved one does pass, grief is expe- rienced and can surface in many forms. Our body experiences grief with possible sleeplessness, loss of appetite, stomach problems, body aches and even an inability to think or stay focused. Since all of us experience grief in different ways it is import- ant to talk to someone you trust about your feel- ings. Many people find resolve by joining a grief support group or a chat group online to connect with others in the same situation. The actual loss of a loved one even though it is expected can leave us stunned with emptiness and relief that they are not suffering anymore. Because many caregivers put the needs of their loved one over their own needs, the transition from caregiving to a new life can be very difficult.
After caregiving ends your challenge is to inte- grate your former role as a caregiver into a new role. There are several opportunities to explore after caregiving has ended. Remember caregiving skills are a powerful skill set that include negotiating, project management, and logistics to name a few. Becoming a mentor to other caregivers is certain- ly an option that can be immensely fulfilling and helpful to others. It can even be a new profession or career by becoming a Caregiving Consultant. CareGiving.com offers a training program that
helps you trans- form your per- sonal caregiv- ing experience into a profes- sion by becom- ing a Caregiv- ing Consultant. Training pro- grams are of- fered in person that last 2 days in various loca- tions and dates,
an eight week virtual training online, or a fast track one-day virtual training. Maybe your new career will have nothing to do with caregiving but the skills you acquired can still be put to good use.
If you enjoy listening and learning CareGiving. com offers a six week course online entitled Be- ginning Again After Caregiving Ends by Denise Brown, founder of CareGiving.com. This course includes one hour webinars that you can listen to at your convenience. The class provides an online PDF copy of her guidebook and access to the pri- vate group online to share and connect with oth- er students. The cost is $20.00 and can be found at CareGiving.com. Change can be very positive after caregiving ends. Taking a trip, moving to a new location, learning a new hobby and mak- ing new choices about healthy living might be a way to give yourself time to know what you re- ally want to do next. In addition to self-care and reaching out to others, some volunteer work may help while you get your new life started.
Caregiving is an all-consuming role that de- mands many life changes to meet the care needs of an Alzheimer’s patient. Such a long-term care dedication to a singular focus obviously leads to a shrinking focus on one’s own life. By beginning to work towards healing from grief and realizing caregiving is not the only focus anymore a new rekindled life can emerge.
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