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
For many years, Guardianship was the “go-to” for a lot of Family Caregivers, as it was believed that adults with Down Syndrome could not make decisions on their own. Over the years, though, families started realizing that their loved ones do have the capacity to make some decisions on their own and thus, a lot …
A Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document that is voluntarily signed by your loved one who has Down Syndrome (making them the “principal”) that gives you the power to make some or all decisions for them (this makes you the “agent” or “attorney in fact”). Sounds good, right? You and your loved one …
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, …
Planning for the future of your loved one who has Down Syndrome is multifaceted. There are many moving parts, many pieces to the puzzle. One very important piece is having conversations. Conversations with your loved one, your family members, friends, legal and financial professionals, and even members of government organizations who provide services for your …
As a family caregiver, what is your plan for the future? Your future. Your loved one’s future. What does life look like 10 years or 20 years from now? Future Planning is one of, if not the most important thing family caregivers must do. We must plan ahead. Why? Simply, because we won’t live forever. …
Calling all parents of teenagers and adults who have Down Syndrome…I need you to pause and seriously consider the following words: What happens to my child if I die? Mom…or Dad…have you stopped to really think about this? I know that death is never a welcomed topic. I know that confronting our own mortality and …