Setting realistic caregiving goals

In this session of Caregiver Tip Tuesday we discuss how to set realistic goals as a caregiver.

It's important when becoming a caregiver to understand your limits. Burning yourself out by trying to do too much in a short amount of time is not only detrimental to your own health, but also the well-being of your loved one. Setting realistic care giving goals is the key to long term success.

As with any other goal plan for your caregiving:

• Come up with a solid plan of the activities that you would like to achieve as a caregiver.
• Once you have identified the main activities you need to achieve, match these activities with your time and commitment level. Be realistic about how much you can take on, do not attempt to do more than you can do.
• Prioritize the activities that are essential to the care plan of your loved one and develop a strategy on how you will do these activities, whether it's daily, weekly or monthly.
• Once you've identified the activities you can do, investigate other avenues to assist with any remaining activities. These may include recruiting family and friends, registering your loved one for an adult day program or using a home care service provider for personal support services or respite care.
• Track and evaluate your plan, take time to assess whether your caregiving plan it adhering to the needs of your loved one and yourself. Ask your loved one how they feel about the amount of care you are providing.
• Make any adjustments necessary to help you better achieve your caregiving goals.