Messages to Live By

We all have lessons to learn throughout our lifetimes. Life evolves and sometimes our journey takes us through turbulent waters and other times the waters remain still. These journeys become a part of us and make us who we are. We are here to learn from one another and through these lessons we can heal our relationships and sometimes ourselves.

Becoming a family caregiver for someone you love is one of those heart wrenching and at times enlightening life lessons. Your role as a family caregiver can happen abruptly or creep in slowly-unnoticed until one day you realize you are caring more for someone else than you are for yourself.

You find yourself beginning to struggle with the day to day demands and somewhere along the way you realize you have lost your identity and have allowed the caregiving role to define who you are. Your new role as a family caregiver can become as frightening as the initial diagnosis. The journey can be a difficult when traveled alone; however, it does not have to be that hard and you do not and should not have to travel the road alone.

Believe in Yourself: NFCA stresses the importance of trying to maintain a positive attitude by recognizing your strengths and limitations. By believing in yourself and recognizing your strengths and limitations it will go a long way in your ability to set goals and boundaries for yourself and for your loved one.

Protect Your Health: It is critically important to maintain your physical and emotional health and well being - if you don’t who will? Your good health is the greatest gift you can give your loved one and your entire family.

Reach Out For Help: Reaching out and asking for help is never a sign of weakness rather it demonstrates strength and a keen awareness of your own abilities and sense of self.

Speak up for your Rights: NFCA encourages and stresses the importance of arming yourself with vital information regarding your loved one’s diagnosis and treatment options. Having the proper information is the gold standard in achieving the ability to advocate for your loved one and developing strong self advocacy skills. By keeping the goal of receiving quality healthcare and making it a priority, you can avoid future medical problems and create a superior quality of life for all involved.

At NFCA we realize first hand that caregiving can be difficult because most of us are current or former family caregivers. We understand that family caregiving requires the constant juggling of work, family life and maintaining our own autonomy. Without the adequate support, information, education and training, we cannot possibly maintain and continually meet the needs of our entire family.