The Caregiving Journey

So you are having to take care of a loved one. You have to do it out of duty but you also want to be doing it out of love. You tell yourself that taking care of a loved one ought to be a joyful and fulfilling gesture. The reality however, is that it can often become such a challenge. As care demands pile up, it’s so easy to find ourselves struggling, lost, frustrated and overwhelmed. We are trying to figure out what to do, how to manage, whether we can afford and how in the world we are ever going get a little bit of “me-time” for ourselves.

Know this: YOU ARE NOT ALONE! 

You are not alone because many others have experienced what you are now going through. We can learn from their experiences and understand what to expect and how best to cope. 

You are not alone because in Singapore, there are people and communities, services and schemes, organizations and policies available to support you in your caregiving journey. We can learn about them and find the resources we need to help us in caring for our loved ones.   

Finally, you are not alone, because we understand your growing needs as a care giver and we are here to help. Let’s start by getting a better sense of the Caregiving Journey. Understanding the caregiving journey can help you know what to expect, learn how to be prepared and figure out how to pace yourself for the long haul. 

The care-giving journey can be summarized into the following phases:

1. Pre-Planning
2. Noticing Signs
3. Making Initial Adjustments
4. Managing Growing Needs
5. Providing Full-time Care
6. Saying Good-Bye
7. Living Life after Caregiving

Not every one goes through all of these phases and each care-giver’s experience will be unique in some ways. Nevertheless, common themes and needs exist. Over the course of the next few posts, we will explore each of these phases and the challenges they pose for care-givers. We will also be sharing the life-hacks and tips that can help make the journey a more pleasant and perhaps, even a more pleasurable one.