Caring Today has announced its “Give a Caregiver a Break” essay contest. It’s a chance for caregivers to write about what they do and why they do it. There is also some serious money to be won–the grand prize is $5,000!
I think you may want to enter the contest, however, even if you don’t think you’ll win a prize. The reason is that being a caregiver for an elder can be isolating. If the person you are taking care of also becomes your chief companion, it is easy to be drawn into a care recipient’s ever-diminishing world. If this happens, you can find yourself in a situation that other people don’t understand and may not even seem interested in.
When we cared for my mother, my wife and I had our daughter and each other to keep us connected with the world. Even so, as Mom’s contact with her friends and clubs and church gradually ebbed away, it sometimes seemed that our lives were limited to and defined by her meal and medication schedule, her doctor’s appointments, her medical emergencies, her laundry and personal care, her dietary limitations, and the roar of her TV which was always, always on.
We wanted to be the best caregivers we could be, be we also wanted to connect with people about what we were doing. Somehow, the chances seemed limited. I know that if we had to do it again, we would be practically screaming for attention, in every way we could think of! Hey, friends and family! Hello, neighbors, community and blogosphere! We need some attention and support over here!
My point is that if you are a caregiver, Caring Today’s essay contest is a motivating opportunity to tell your story to people who care about what you are doing and who understand and appreciate the challenges you face. I think you’ll find that just writing your essay is a pretty good prize all by itself.
And if you do win some money, you can afford a little extra respite care.
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