By Sheila Warnock
WHO TAKES CARE OF THE CAREGIVER?
People facing a medical crisis try to “circle the wagons” and tough it out. The result is usually caregiver burnout. While the doctors, nurses, therapists and medical community take care of the patient and the illness, the needs of the caregiver are often overlooked. Who will drive the kids to school? How can we get the shopping done? How do we schedule and keep doctors’ appointments? Ordinary tasks quickly turn into major needs-and soon overwhelm the primary caregiver.
There is a way to make a difference…SHARE THE CARETM
Share The Care is a cost effective, supportive, community-based group caregiving model born out of the experience of 12 people (mostly strangers to each other) who came together and stayed together for over three years to care for a friend with terminal cancer. Two of them wrote the book so others wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel.
It’s called Share The Care, How to Organize a Group to Care for Someone Who Is Seriously Ill, Simon & Schuster (1995, 2004)
Share The Care details how ordinary people can pool their talents, time and resources and create a “caregiving family” to help someone they know facing a health or medical crisis. A Share The Care group supports not only the person in need but their entire family as well. And if someone has no family nearby the group becomes “family.” It’s a sure way of turning offers of “What can I do to help?” into positive action.
A Share The Care group can help regardless of the situation-whether the person (or child) is in need of short-term rehabilitation, suffering from a long-term or terminal illness, or someone is just facing the increased difficulties associated with aging. For example, a church group in Texas recently organized to help a new family in town with the care of their newborn quadruplets.
The model has served as a blueprint for groups in at least 38 states, as well as internationally in Canada, Iceland, and Israel. In May 2005, The Library Journal cited it as “One of the best consumer health books of 2004.” Share The Care is also a winner of Today’s Caregiver magazine’s 2008 Caregiver Friendly Award.
The mission of ShareThecaregiving, Inc. (a 501c3 organization) is to promote and educate people about group caregiving. We offer Share The Care trainings, lectures and customized workshops for health professionals, clergy and caregivers. Our web site www.sharethecare.org provides in-depth information about the model. Visitors can read about groups, find helpful resources, link to purchase the book, download all the forms in the book, and provide feedback on their experiences through a questionnaire. We offer weekday e-mail, and phone support to caregivers and health professionals.
Donations can be made through Network for Good on our web site. Your gifts help us cover the costs of producing our educational materials. And we’d love to know if you start a Share The Care group to help someone in need.
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