Originally posted October 1st, 2014 on UMHS Blogs . by Laura Rice-Oeschger, LMSW.
“A partner paradigm strengthens our interconnectedness and can bring more awareness to the kindness and support that is right under our nose.”
When do you realize you are a family caregiver? Responses in my experience range from the darkly humorous to the completely visceral, such as: “When my husband started calling me ‘mom.’” Emerging caregivers are often not new to caregiving at all, but rather isolated from the pack. This delays significant steps toward caregiver support and activities that contribute to well-being and caregiver identity, such as joining groups for information, support, stress reduction or counseling. There may also be signifi