Caregiver Series with Mettle Health
Our podcast is hosted on Spotify and Anchor.
BJ Miller, MD, Dani Chammas, MD and Bridget Sumser, SW discuss aspects of caregiving. Caregiving encompasses everything, from the emotional to the practical to the medical, the list is endless. We’ll discuss the basics of good caregiving, review the six “activities of daily living,” how to share the care load, what to expect over time, how to be a good advocate and coping mechanisms. Caregiving works best when the work is shared, and these discussions are no different.
We discuss:
0:00: Introduction
4:00 Every caregiver experiences or relationship will be different, there is a huge array of feelings around this position. Not every caregiver relationship revolves around love; there is space for relationships that are complicated
6:30 The word “caregiver” may not resonate with everyone
7:38 The timing of caregiving, be it acute or ongoing: it never really turns “off”, the key is sustainability
14:13 Understanding the physical aspects of caregiving: Activities of Daily Living - Bathing, Dressing, etc.
17:46 The difficulty of doing a hard job, and also not feeling like you have space to complain
19:10 How introducing new physical duties, especially around modesty, can explicitly change an established relationship
24:20 How our fetish with independence can get in the way of the patient/caregiver relationship
25:12 Many children are in the role of caregiver as part of their childhood experience
27:10 Understanding that different cultural contexts will think about caregiving in different ways
28:10 Child-Life services are available to help support kids who are in this caregiver role
31:02 Difficult emotions and thoughts are normal in caregiver role, all thoughts and feelings are welcome
34:40 Communication in caregiving is huge and important in all interactions: talking with the person you’re caring for or the health care team, etc. Find a way to communicate with words or artwork, conflicting thoughts can grow and get worse if not expressed
38:02 Thinking about communicating around tangible to-dos and medical information being shared by clinical teams.
40:15 Speaking up for yourself or someone you’re caring for in the medical system: ask questions, clarify and make sure you’re heard
42:38 The intimidating power dynamic that is always present in the doctor/patient/caregiver relationship - it is hard to ask for clarification, but so important to do so
47:00 Suggestions for managing the difficult emotions of others as a an illness progresses? Being honest with what’s true for us
52:10 You may be preventing help and relationship growth by protecting people, sharing and being vulnerable can be an amazing gift to those around you
54:39 How can you find a balance between advocating and letting things go?
57:50 How can professional caregivers be open and honest and share emotions, but also maintain a balance while in a professional role?
Sign up for future discussions: https://www.mettlehealth.com/events
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Get a complimentary session
Learn more about our services and see how Mettle Health can help you, or someone you’re caring for, by booking a short 20-minute complimentary consultation to discuss your situation with one of our counselors and find the best fit for future appointment types. You can join solo, or bring others in the care circle.
