Defining the Caregiver

Click Here to Order the Questionnaire showing the Varied Degrees of the Caregiving Work and View the Results:

Am I a Light, Middle or Heavy Weight Caregiver™?

DEFINITIONS:

Professional caregiver

Physician, nurse, social worker, or personal support worker (PSW) who assists in the identification, prevention, or treatment of an illness or disability. (Sometimes referred to as formal caregiver or paid caregiver)

Family carer/caregiver

A family member, friend, or neighbor who provides ongoing assistance to a frail or disabled person who is unable to carry out activities of daily living independently.

(Sometimes referred to as informal caregiver or unpaid caregiver)

You are caregiving if you:

Do shopping for a parent.
Take your spouse to medical appointments .
Remind your grandmother to take her pills
Paying the bills for your parent.

Providing care for a family member with chronic illness becomes increasingly more demanding in time and patience as the illness progresses. It is wise to start preparing early in strengthening resiliency to prepare for what lies ahead in the latter stage of the disease. The earlier one identifies with the caregiving role, the better for becoming part of a community of caregivers, sharing strategies of coping, learning and supporting one another.

The more duties = the heavier weight

The more support received eg. from family, friends, professionals and oranizations = less weight