Caregiving is one of the most minimally recognize jobs in the nation, but one of the most demanding and fulfilling ones as well. While providing an elder with care, it is important to ensure that you’re also looking out for your own self-care by not piling on too many tasks at once, and allowing yourself grace periods in which you can relax and not stress too much about getting everything done at once. Twitter even has #CareChat which is a way for those caring for loved ones and other elders to come together and bond over the subject.

Key Takeaways:

• Two critical skills for caregivers are the ability to delegate and the capacity to say no.
• It’s important to remember to have patience with one’s own learning curve, because care-giving is a learn as one goes skill.
• For sharing with other caregivers, Twitter hosts a once-weekly chat for caregivers, Tuesdays, 1 PM, hashtag# CareChat.

“This was a milestone trip for me as a parent/caregiver: it was the first time I traveled anywhere without my daughter, the first time leaving her overnight in the four years she’s been with our family, the first time I went somewhere I couldn’t easily return from should a problem arise.”