Young Caregivers › Forums › Join the Conversation › Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone! I’m Kathleen, the Peer Support Program Lead at the Ontario Caregiver Organization. I was a young caregiver when my mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was away at school during my second year of university, and also a caregiver for my grandmother at the end of her life a few years later. I know what it’s like navigating caregiving along with school and work, and hope this space will be a safe space for you to connect with other young caregivers like you!
Hi everyone! I’m Kathleen, the Peer Support Program Lead at the Ontario Caregiver Organization. I was a young caregiver when my mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was away at school during my second year of university, and also a caregiver for my grandmother at the end of her life a few years later. I know what it’s like navigating caregiving along with school and work, and hope this space will be a safe space for you to connect with other young caregivers like you!
Hello! My name is Nicholas, and I am a Peer Mentor at the Ontario Caregiver Organization. I was a caregiver to my grandmother a few years ago while she recovered from a stroke. During the time that I helped my grandmother, I learned a lot about the importance of a strong support system that is willing to actively counsel and listen while being there for somebody. I think that a healthy balance between physical help and enabling the other party to feel their emotions are crucial to being a strong caregiving support. I’m a very sociable individual, so feel free to give me a shout if you want to chat 🙂
Thank you for introducing yourself and telling you a bit about the support you provided to your grandmother. I think your situation is similar to a lot of young caregivers who visit this site, so I hope they see this and feel a little less alone! Please feel free to share any tips or things you’ve learned on this forum as it sounds like you have a lot of great insight to offer. For example, you might want to share some self-care strategies here: https://youngcaregiversconnect.ca/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-for-self-care/
yashvidg • 4 years agoHi! I am currently a young caregiver. I care for my younger brother who has physical disabilities and behavioural issues. In addition to this, I also work as a support worker for people with both physical mental challenges. Along with this I also have to balance out time to spend with the rest of my family, as well as work and school. Things can be tough sometimes – especially in terms of time and funds, but I do my best to stay happy and positive. I’ve found that having a can-do, tenacious attitude not only allows me to see the best in life and to keep going, but it also has a positive effect on all those around me. 🙂
Welcome yashvidg! Thanks for introducing yourself. It’s great to see all these different kinds of caring experiences. Everyone’s situation is unique, but it’s also nice to see that across caregiving situations, people have a lot in common too. I know finding balance can be a challenge, but it also sounds like you know what works for you! Thanks for sharing, I know it’s helpful for other young caregivers who visit here to hear your story and feel a little less alone!
Hi everyone,
My name is Dean Henderson. I was a young caregiver supporting my grandmother’s end of life. I am now working at The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County – we support caregivers, care partners and families who support someone living with dementia.
Looking forward to connecting and being a support.
Best,
Dean
Welcome Dean, thanks for joining us!
Hi, my name’s Casey. I’m a caregiver to my mother who is in use of a wheelchair and has ARFID.(Which is an eating disorder.) I am the youngest of the family, but I’ve always felt more responsible in taking care of her. I still struggle with balancing my own needs and her needs. Along with making sure I have a schedule set for things I need to do.(like chores)
But I’ll keep confronting this with a smile on my face, because that’s how I’ve always been.
If anyone’d like to chat, just let me know. I honestly really want a social group where I can feel understood.
Since right now I don’t have that time to freely go and make friends like that.
:))
Hello everyone on the discussion forum, my name is Alex. I am also a peer mentor at the Ontario Caregiver Organization! I am currently a full-time caregiver for my grandmother who has severe dementia. I am currently enrolled in a Police Foundations Program at Humber College and I graduate in April, 2023. I am very excited! Throughout the years of caregiving, I learned about how far caring for another goes. Even though they might not show how much it means to them, at the end of the day they appreciate it so much.
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