180 Montgomery Street, Suite 900
and offers education, information, and
San Francisco, CA 94104
referrals.
1-800-445-8106 (toll-free)
www.caregiver.org
The Alliance offers programs to provide
information to and support for caregivers.
including families and caregivers 49
triangle and can address both the patient and companion face-to-face. Be careful not to direct your remarks to the companion. By not falling into this trap, you can prevent the encounter from feeling like a “two against one”
match.
Families may want to make decisions for a loved one. Adult children especially may want to step in for a parent who has cognitive impairments.
If a family member has been named the health care agent or proxy, under some circumstances, he or she has the legal authority to make care decisions.
However, without this authority, the patient is responsible for making his or her own choices. Try to set clear boundaries with family members, and encourage others to respect them.
Family caregivers face many emotional, fi nancial, and physical challenges.
They often provide help with household chores, transportation, and personal care. More than one-third also give medications, injections, and medical treatments to the person for whom they care. It makes sense to view informal caregivers as “hidden patients” and be alert for signs of illness and stress. Caregivers may fi nd it hard to make time for themselves. Encourage them to seek respite care so that they can recharge and take a break from the loved one. And remember, your encouragement and praise can help to sustain a caregiver.