Start Here:  How to Use This Site

So, you did it.

You’re a caregiver, or maybe you’re thinking about becoming a caregiver for your aging parents or in-laws.

Welcome to the Family Caregiver Resource Center, where we provide useful tools and information that answer questions you have . . . and some things you might not have thought about.  Yet.

This site is designed for you and the millions of other adult children (or grandchildren) caring for their elderly loved ones.

Here’s a brief guide to how the site is set up so you can explore and find what you need to have a successful and rewarding caregiving experience.

At the top of the page you can see our navigation tabs. Here’s what you can find in each of them:

The Basics. Here you’ll find information about topics of equal importance for elder care and caregiver care, topics such as:

• legal documents you’ll need to have in place,
• financial issues to consider as you begin caregiving,
• tips on communicating with your parents and siblings, and
• planning for emergencies.

Elder Care. This section provides resources and helpful information about the “meat and potatoes” of caregiving, like:

• knowing when and how to broach the subject with your parents,
• common day-to-day tasks you’ll more than likely take on,
• typical health care issues you’ll have to deal with, and
• ways to ensure the safety of the elders you love.

Caregiver Care. Last, but certainly not least, is the category that has to do with you, the caregiver.

For many caregivers, the last thing they think about is taking care of themselves—there is just too much to do.  (This was definitely true in my case, unfortunately.) You have got to make yourself a priority—and that is not only hard, it’s very often the last thing you want to think about, so we’ll be providing ideas and tips for how to work that into your life.

As well, this section well be a place for caregivers to share their stories (let us know if you’d like to share yours and we’ll help you do that).

Lastly, and the last thing most of us want to think about, is that this journey ultimately has only one ending—the loss of the person you’ve devoted yourself to caring for.  We’ll cover topics about coping with the terminal illness of a parent and how to move forward when this journey ends.

The Resources tab will be a place where you can find links to helpful websites with explanations of the information and resources provided by each of them.

This website was created with you–the caregiver– in mind.  If you’d like to know more about how it came about and what motivates me, you can read my story here.

I’d love to hear from you—just click on the “Contact Us” to send an e-mail with questions, ideas for topics you’d like to see covered, or just to say hello.

Thanks for visiting—sit back and check out the articles and resources we’ve got for you.  Don’t forget to check back often—we’ll be adding content at least twice every week. If you’re not on our mailing list already and you’d like to be notified when we add new information, just fill in the form on the left to receive our free report and be added to our list.

Welcome, and Enjoy the Site!