Caregiving

“…studies have shown that caregivers endure high levels of stress both emotional and physical. The hardships are often financial as well. Spouses and children experience not only isolation, loneliness, and a loss of personal time, but painful emotions such as guilt, confusion, anger, sadness and grief. With these unavoidable strains, their own health often suffers, not to speak of experienced “burnout.” To stoically ignore one’s own needs ultimately leads to diminished quality of care. The result is even more emotional pain and guilt for all involved.” (Elisabeth Lopukhin)

“I would submit to all of us, as I have in the past here: I, and you as a caregiver, have some form of a savior complex. We just do. That just goes with the territory of being a caregiver. So we need to look at our own responses to see if our response to our patients and clients and others is proper. That’s what this is all about…We need to understand our own level of ambiguity. I’d also submit to you that the very mature arrival point for caregivers, to say, “I don’t know.” We caregivers don’t say, “I don’t know,” easily; we don’t, because we are trained to know…We’re trained to help people…” (Dr. Al Rossi)

“Most people will become caregivers—or need one—at some point in their lives…Many family members and friends do not consider such assistance and care “caregiving”—they are just doing what come naturally to them: taking care of someone they love. That care be required for months or years, and may take an emotional, physical and finance toll on caregiver families. Caregiving may be more than a person can handle alone. Caregivers tend to face tremendous uncertainty and often find themselves overwhelmed, unprepared, and uninformed. Finding guidance, strength and hope through His Church is helpful to successful caregiving.” (Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church)

“Be encouraged, you who have been given the role of Caregiver for a loved one. Be strengthened, knowing that He who imparts grace to the Saints is in fact growing holiness in your very souls! At times we don’t feel like sacrificing our energy, comfort, time and pleasure for our children or aging parents. At times we don’t feel we have the strength to do it even if we want to. Do it anyway. Do it with the knowledge that God will increase the love needed, the energy and resources that are lacking. Care for the person who needs it with every ounce of compassion you can muster, praying always to see Jesus in the one who is being cranky or combative, or seemingly unappreciative…So it is with parents, teachers, priests and pastors, homemakers, caregivers, workers, and servants of all types. One day, one month, one year follows the other as their time is “spent” in untold acts of mercy and compassion. Only when they look back at the end of their lives can they see that they have obeyed the Lord’s command to “lay down” their lives for others in love” (John 15:13).” (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Center for Family Care, Fr. Basil)

“Caregiving advice: Do nothing for anyone that they can and should do for themselves. It is not charitable to do things for others that they should be doing for themselves. We rob them of their life when we do that. So we should help people to do what they have to do themselves and not do it for them. Now there’s plenty of people who can’t do for themselves what they need to do. Then, we help them. But we should never be helping people to do the things that they should be doing for themselves.” (Fr. Thomas Hopko)

#ElisabethLopukhin #DrAlRossi #HolyTrinityGreekOrthodoxChurch #GreekOrthodoxArchdioceseCenterforFamilyCare #FrBasil #FrThomasHopko