Most of us have done it: caregiving. It’s taking care of an adult who can’t make it alone. Caregiving may be temporary, as when your parent or spouse or friend has had surgery or a severe injury or illness. He or she cannot prepare meals or drive. Walking is slow. The thought of showering is scary. So you adjust your life and make time to give him or her a helping hand for a few days or weeks. When they’re back on their feet, you both realize how much the experience taught you about patience and bearing with each other’s strange habits. You even discover that it strengthened your relationship with each other. Furthermore, you felt good about the opportunity to give of yourself.

More often when we say “caregiving,” we mean extended time caring for a more-or-less permanently infirm adult. The purpose of this column is to share caregiving advice in that setting. We’ll be exploring a range of issues from how to help an infirm person get out of bed without breaking your back to preparing for an aging parent’s move into your home. Whether you are caring for aging parents now or see it looming ahead, look here for fresh ideas. Perhaps you are caring for an ailing spouse at a time in life when you thought you and your husband or wife would be traveling to exotic places. Maybe you have a permanently handicapped child who will never be able to leave home and live independently. In the months to come, we’ll discuss down-to-earth methods and issues involved in caring for an infirm loved one. There will be interviews with professional caregivers. We will also take a look at the special problems of grandparents raising grandchildren.

We’re not here to talk theory. My interest in caregiving grew out of almost a decade of fulltime caregiving for my husband as his health failed sharply. After my husband’s death, it seemed like a pity to waste what I had learned in the years of around the clock caregiving. This column’s purpose is to share caregiving expertise gained by hands-on experience.

Bio:
Martha Evans Sparks graduated from the University of Kentucky where she majored in journalism. She has master’s degrees in experimental psychology and in library science. She has written four books; one concerning dyslexia and the other three about various phases of caregiving. Check out Martha’s Journal and her books on caregiving on the Web at www.martha-evans-sparks.com