I’ve mentioned before that my grandma provided personal care for grandpa in their home when he became sick. My grandma became what we call today a “family caregiver,” as she fed him and gave him a sponge bath as he laid in bed during his final days. Today, many families struggle with the decision to provide care in the home or placing a loved one in an assisted living facility or nursing home. My grandma was healthy, strong, and able to care for grandpa at-home, but that’s not always the case for other families. My grandma took good care of grandpa when was sick. I remember how carefully she handled him and I realize how hard it must have been for a fiercely independent man like my grandpa to accept this help, especially for his personal care needs. Family members have long provided care to each other in the home. Some researchers have suggested that the primary providers of long-term care to older people are family caregivers. Family provides perhaps as much as 80 percent of this long-term care. Spouses don’t always consider themselves to be a caregiver, even though they often spend as much as 40 to 60 hours a week helping their spouse with meals, bathing, and dressing. For them, this is just the fulfillment of their marriage vows, “in sickness and in health.” Sometimes both spouses are ill, or one has already passed on, and spousal caregiving is not an option. Adult children often assume this role as caregiver. When a parent is in need of help, adult children report spending between 15 and 30 hours per week assisting with the care of a parent, usually helping with managing personal care, providing transportation, and doing the banking and shopping. In today’s busy and mobile society, adult children can’t always help their parents. Therefore, family caregiving can be limited. Assisted living and nursing home care may be the only, and best options for these families. My grandpa was often grumpy about letting someone help him with his personal care, even when it was grandma. But, that didn’t change grandma’s sense of duty or love for the man with whom she lived and raised five children. I know how important my grandma’s caregiving efforts really were for grandpa. As I think back about the experience and how they spent their whole life together, I also realize how precious those final moments together were for grandma, too. ### |
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