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Rayna Neises, ACC, host, and Karen Weaver, PCC, co-host, discuss ways to support family caregivers as they revisit last week’s interview with Drew Brenner.  While Drew cared for his mother, he was unable to find the resources he was seeking.  As a result, he set out on a mission to create an organization to provide to other family caregivers what he felt was missing.  Additional thoughts discussed:

• Focus is often on the person being cared for with the caregiver’s needs unseen. Taking the time to ask questions can help determine what caregiver needs should be addressed:
  •  What types of support do you need?
  • What is not getting done?
  • What type of support will make a difference for you as a caregiver?
• As a caregiver, it is important to find someone who will really listen, spend time with you, and have meaningful conversations.
• Be direct and ask for exactly what is needed.  This will allow others who have not walked the caregiver path to be helpful to you.
• It is important to have conversations with someone else about what to do for the person you care for should something happen to you.
• Make sure all members of your care team know where to find the emergency contact numbers for relatives, neighbors, doctors, etc.
• Figure out your burnout signs and pay attention to them.
• Thank you to all the family caregivers for doing the tough thing!