Caregivers are like Superman. They are the one everybody turns to and expects them to fix all problems.  Sometimes though, he had to get away. He had to go to the Fortress of Solitude to recharge. Think about that for a second. Superman – the caped crusader – the man of steel – could get overwhelmed and needed a break. Did that make him less in our eyes? No, we understood that over time his cape became heavy and at times could be a burden.

Look at all you do, take 5 minutes and write down what a typical day, week, or month is like. You probably just said – yea if I had 5 minutes free I would take a nap, not make a list. Well, the list is important. Just like Superman had the Justice League you need to build a team around you. People want to help but do not know what to do. If you could look at your list and delegate some tasks to friends or family then you could escape to your own Fortress of Solitude and recharge. If you are not used to relaxing it will be very strange and you will feel lazy but do not give in and work on the list. Do something for yourself – sit in a park, take a class, take a nap, get a massage, get a pedicure, take the dog for a long walk – don’t have a dog then borrow the neighbors, etc.

It is very important for you to allow yourself time to be – there are many emotions caregivers deal with – guilt, grief, resentment, joy, surprise, anger  – and you need to take time to process them.  In the next few weeks I will be delving deeper into helping caregivers. At The Lamoine we want to be part of your Justice League. We want to be the backup you can count on and help relieve some of your burden.  We will not only take care of your loved one but we will take care of you. It is difficult to allow someone to help and the adjustment is very hard. We understand. We have been there and can help guide or simply listen.

Please call Annette or myself at 309-575-3108 or you may email me at kshiraki@thelamoine.com to learn more about us and The Lamoine’s philosophy of senior care. We currently are offering limited tours since the building is an active construction site but have videos and information to share.

We are out and about a lot so please let us know you are coming to visit us at the trailer behind the Lamoine before setting out. If the OPEN sign is on  – we are in.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

Kelly