“How do I help my dad get out of the tub with out hurting either of us? Should I help my partner floss or should I just let it go? What can I do about my mom’s refusal to sleep in her bed? She prefers the reclining chair in the living room. My wife asks the same questions over and over and over again and it’s driving me nuts. I feel overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and resentment and I feel guilty for feeling these feelings!” 

FCA’s 30 Days of Caregiving blog features stories of caregiving as submitted by families across the country. Family caregivers are invited to send a story and a picture, and share their experiences with others through FCA’s website.

FCA thanks all the caregiving families that have shared their stories of love, loss, bravery, triumphs, community, humor, and sadness. These stories and tips for coping truly help others.

As part of FCA’s 30 Days of Caregiving blog during National Family Caregivers Month, former FCA staff members were asked to be guest bloggers as part of a unique “Throwback Thursday” series. They were asked to address how FCA has influenced their work in their current positions, what they learned at FCA that they have carried forward, and if they were King or Queen for a day, what they would make happen for family caregivers.

Respite, as promoted by the Caregiver Action Network (CAN), is the theme for National Family Caregivers Month—and rightly so! At least 85 percent of the nation’s 43 million caregivers do not use respite. The challenges and barriers to respite are many–cost, limited options, too few well trained providers, not knowing where to go to ask for help, reluctance, and guilt. We know that respite is most beneficial when “respite time” is meaningful for the caregiver.