.To take care of myself. This is not an act of
selfishness. It will give me the capability of taking better care of my
relative.
.To seek help from others even though my relatives may object.
I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
.To maintain
facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I
would if he or she were healthy. I know that I do everything that I
reasonably can for this person, and I have the right to do some things just
for myself.
.To get angry, be depressed, and express other difficult
feelings occasionally.
.To reject any attempts by my relative (either
conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through guilt, and / or
depression.
.To receive consideration, affection, forgiveness, and
acceptance for what I do from my loved one for as long as I offer these
quality in return.
.To take pride in what I am accomplishing and to
applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my
relative.
.To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for
myself that will sustain me in the time when my relative no longer needs my
full-time help.
.To expect and demand that as new strides are made in
finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired persons in our
country, similar strides will be made towards aiding and supporting
Caregivers.
- Modified by Today's Caregiver Magazine
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