To all the caregivers out there

Today I got to see the magic of collaboration at my work. It’s been a great learning experience to be able to work with veterans with dementia and their families. To all the caregivers out there, know that you are not alone and that you deserve time for yourself as well. Self-care is a necessity, and making it a priority is a must to care for loved ones. I don’t have all the answers on how to make self-care work, and I’m still learning to get to know myself. It’s a work-in-progress and will be lifetime journey for me. Self-care can be extremely difficult to make time for, especially for those who tend to put yourselves last (yes, you).

Please don’t give up. “You must take care of yourself first before you can take care of others.” I still remember the saying that my Resident Coordinator said to me back when I was a Resident Advisor in college.

So, the message is everything is figure-outable. To anyone who has provided care for a loved ones, you matter. You know your loved ones the best. Thank you for being their best advocates. You rock! You are a true hero.