Help for Family Caregivers of Teenagers & Adults with Down Syndrome
Help for Family Caregivers of Teenagers & Adults with Down Syndrome
Help for Family Caregivers of Teenagers & Adults with Down Syndrome
Normally when you think of adoption, you think of children being adopted. Adoption is the legal transfer of parental rights and responsibilities from the birth parent(s) to the person(s) seeking to adopt. So, it may come as a surprise to you that adults can also be adopted. I know, you’re probably looking at the screen …
As the family caregiver of an adult or teenager who has Down Syndrome (DS), you are fully aware that your loved one needs help in some areas of life, e.g., making financial or medical decisions. You are also aware that they do not need help in other areas, e.g., cooking meals, personal hygiene or cleaning …
A support system, according to Merriam-Webster, is “a network of people who provide an individual with practical or emotional support“. By that definition, it is clear that a support system is something that is needed by all family caregivers. But, let’s get real…the sad truth is that many caregivers have no support system. Zilch. Zero. …
Imagine trying to figure out your own life…and doing poorly at this. Imagine you are desperately seeking to determine what you need to do now, to ensure that you are not weeping later. Now, imagine doing all of that not just for yourself, but for your loved one who has Down’s Syndrome. Wait…you don’t have …
As family caregivers, we keep hearing that we should be planning for the future. We are constantly told that we must accept that we won’t be around forever and we should get our loved one ready to live life without us. OK, fine…so how do we start this planning thing? Where do we start? Firstly, …
Who has time to “get help”? Not me. I have to be working at a job I hate, working overtime and on weekends, just to attempt to cover the bills each month. I have to be monitoring my loved one…making sure the doctor visits are done, the prescriptions are filled, food is in the house, …
It’s the thing no family caregiver wants to admit that they are feeling. Why? Guilt. We think we are “bad” for feeling resentment towards our child, parent or another family member. We do not want to be the one to say “Hey guys! I am not okay with the fact that my child has Down …
Chances are, this is the first time that you are hearing the term “compassion fatigue”…am I right? No worries guys, you are not alone. I mean, this is not exactly the sort of thing that comes up in everyday conversation. I do believe, however, that it is important for family caregivers to be aware of …
ATTENTION! Family caregivers all over the world…November is your month. November is Family Caregiver Awareness Month! It’s our time guys! To each and every one of you who has taken on the role of being the primary caregiver for your family member(s) who has Down Syndrome…whether you’re a mommy, daddy, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, grandma, …
This year for Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I decided to approach things differently. I wrote an article that gave advice to siblings of persons who have Down Syndrome, making the siblings aware of certain things that they, as caregivers, should seriously consider. Out of that article, came the request for me to write a similar …