Laura Vaillancourt on Caring for the Caregiver
So many women today find themselves serving as caregivers for elderly loved ones. In this episode of Woman Worriers, host Elizabeth Cush talks with Laura Vaillancourt about why caregiving can be so difficult and how to better manage being a caregiver.
“Nobody plans to become a caregiver. We’re often just kind of thrown into it. You’ll be an expert by the end, when you won’t need to do it anymore.”
Show Notes:
Women tend to be caregivers, so it’s no surprise that the responsibility for caring for aging loved ones often falls on their shoulders. With that role come stress, anxiety, guilt and many other complex emotions. In this week’s episode of the Woman Worriers podcast, host Elizabeth Cush, LCPC, of Progression Counseling in Annapolis, Md., talks about caregiving with Laura Vaillancourt, a licensed mental health counselor and geriatric mental health specialist who counsels and consults with individuals and families caring for the elderly. She offers insights into the many-layered challenges of caregiving and offers tips for self-care.
Listen and learn:
Why caring for an elderly loved one is so overwhelming—even if you’re not the one providing day-to-day care
Why there’s more to it than navigating the healthcare, finances and legal issues
How mourning the changing relationship adds to the stress
The importance of being knowledgeable about your loved one’s diagnosis
Why caregivers get caught off guard
The connection between caregiving and isolation
Why caregivers can’t go it alone
How most caregivers share the feelings you feel guilty about
Why women caregivers find it hard to ask for help
Which resources are really important for caregivers
How “unfinished business” complicates the caregiving relationship
How to start building a self-care plan
Simple self-care tips that don’t require carving more time out of your day
How to get the help you need even when you don’t know what you need
Why getting the help you need also benefits your loved one
What resources to look for in your community
Where to find online support
Learn More
> Laura Vaillancourt’s Eldercare Coaching & Consulting website
> Free Get In the Lifeboat online summit for dementia caregivers
> Laura Vaillancourt on Facebook
> More Work for Mother: The Ironies of Household Technology from the Open Hearth to the Microwave by Ruth Schwartz Cowan
> Woman Worriers on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook & Twitter
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