I really like these ideas! It sounds like these are things that give you relief right in the moment and things that really anyone could do to unwind or de-stress. Thanks for sharing!
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/
Hi dizzydancer. You’re totally right. On one hand, the pandemic has made some things easier, like working or doing school from home so you don’t have to arrange care for your family member, but it’s a lot lonelier too. I am hearing from a lot of people that they are having a hard time getting the support they need right now.
I wonder if you’d be interested in attending our online support group? Here is the link if you’d like more information or to sign up:https://youngcaregiversconnect.ca/join-our-peer-support-group/
We also have quite a few young caregivers in our 1:1 Peer Support Program here. It can be a nice way to connect with a volunteer who has a similar experience as you do. Here is the link:https://ontariocaregiver.ca/peersupport/find-a-mentor/.
Thank you for reaching out, I’m glad you found this site. It sounds like connecting with people who “get it” makes such a difference, but that finding good distractions helps too! So many caregivers don’t think of themselves as caregivers until someone points it out – I’m glad your friend did. I hope this community can be another source of support too, as there are many young caregivers here who know what you’re going through.
Hi dizzydancer. It’s good that you have shared this with your teachers! I can appreciate how tricky that must have been. You might find reading Micaela’s story helpful: https://youngcaregiversconnect.ca/stories/im-micaela-and-i-provide-care-for-my-father/. In it, she talks about how being a young caregiver often means not doing things as well as you’d like to. She recommends reaching out for help when you need it. It sounds like you’ve already one that by talking to your teachers, and reaching out here! Well done.
Hopefully this will be a space you can connect with other young caregivers. They may have tips they can share that might help!
Hello and welcome, stationaryqueen. I’m glad you reached out! Pandemic fatigue is definitely real these days, but you’ve already taken the first step in getting some support. You definitely aren’t alone in this feeling, so I hope that other young caregivers can share their experiences or what’s worked for them in this thread.
You might also find our page about ways to cope helpful: https://youngcaregiversconnect.ca/ways-to-cope/, although it’s not specific to COVID-19.
Welcome casualmetaphor. I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling overwhelmed. You might find this link helpful as you learn more about your father’s condition and caregiving: https://youngcaregiversconnect.ca/alzheimers-and-dementia/.
I’m so glad you reached out to connect on this platform. I hope while you’re here you find others who can connect with what you’re going through and can share tips about what helped them.
Thank you and welcome, Micaela!
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