Written by Deborah Jordaan
Good day to all the wonderful humans that read our stories, without our readers our words are in limbo but our readers embrace our talent. Thank you.
Today I am writing about the person that takes care of a patient. Whether it is a nurse or a family member the caretaker is sometimes taken for granted. The patient can be selfish and not consider the person taking care of them, they might also want to do things and go places but sometimes the Caregiver has no choice as they take care of the patient twenty-four hours a day.
The Caregiver can get lonely and feel like they are alone. The Caregiver also needs a support system as the patient family might not assist the Caregiver. Working twenty-four hours a day is strenuous.
Yes, the Caregiver has chosen to do the work they do but if they are emotionally tired they will be of no assistance to anyone including their own family.
In Afrikaans, there is a saying, ‘Jy druk my in n blik,’ which means your space has been compressed to such a small size that you cannot move.
Caregivers that take care of a family member do not have it easy as they do not have choices. The Caregiver feels obligated to take care of the patient as the patient supports them financially.
When does the relationship become abusive in a sense? It becomes abusive when the patient verbally abuses the Caregiver. Even emotional abuse is abuse.
Once the Caregiver starts feeling lonely and excluded from the world, problems are created. The Caregiver starts to feel resentment and used. The patient needs to realise that without the Caregiver the situation can become difficult. When a Caregiver studies, they are told that they should not allow manipulation and being used by the patient and the family of the patient.
It is amazing how the family does not really care about the patient in some scenarios, but when they want to sound intelligent and voice their opinion they expect the Caregiver to bow down.
I have worked as a private Caregiver a few times and have met good and bad families. I think some family members have a guilty conscience so they decide they want to butt in the situation of the patient.
Yes, the family might be employing the Caregiver but that does not mean they can talk to you like they want. We are all human beings and we are all on different levels of life, there should not be an issue of rich or poor.
The Caregivers are sometimes seen as the bottom of the barrel but without us, a system can stand still. We are important to the recovery of a patient, we do the clean-up job if the hospital cannot assist. Do not undervalue your Caregiver as they sacrifice a lot for your health. They give up their lives and take your life as theirs. They hardly see their families.
This may seem like a complaint session but it is to shed light on the issues of some Caregivers. If you have a Caregiver, appreciate them. If they are very trustworthy you have a gem of a person. Be blessed and always take care of people as if they are your own loved ones.
From the Pen of ... 