A Caregiving Plan: The Three P's
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and ask for understanding.” - Proverbs 2:1-3 NLT
Thoughts for Today
Whether caregiving is being provided by a family member, friend, or care professional, try to keep a right perspective on the following three P’s.
Purpose. A natural tendency of caregivers is to over care for a loved one. Whenever possible, encourage your parents (or other loved ones) to complete tasks on their own. Help only when necessary. Resist completing a task on their behalf even though you may be able to do it more easily or quickly.
Provide. Provide appropriate devices that enable your parents to maintain their mobility and independence (like a cane, walker, wheelchair, hearing and vision aids, and dentures).
Preserve. Always provide care in a manner that preserves your parents’ dignity. The frustration and humiliation people often face because of losing ability and independence can be discouraging. Allowing your parents’ choices and participation in their care will help preserve their dignity.
Consider This ...
Making choices that honor your loved ones and help them maintain their dignity is not always easy. We can get so focused on fixing things, putting out fires, and surviving the day-to-day challenges of caregiving that we quickly lose our sensitivity to our love one’s emotional needs.
The best perspective and priorities are those that please God. And the best way to keep those in balance is to immerse our life in a relationship with Christ. The right choices are more clear when we are studying God’s Word, listening to the voice of God’s Spirit, and staying in close touch with God’s people.
Prayer
Father, I need your help with my perspective and priorities. Help me be more sensitive to my loved one’s needs for dignity and encouragement. In Jesus’ name …
These thoughts were drawn from … Caregiving: Caring for Aging Parents by Charles Puchta. The purpose of this curriculum is to provide hope and direction to those concerned about the health and well-being of aging parents or an ill spouse or relative. We address predominate issues most families face. Each session is designed to discuss a specific area of concern such as the purpose of a caregiver or end-of-life planning. It will become clear to participants that the Bible provides encouragement and direction to help them through this caregiving journey. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a study for individuals or couples.
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