Caregivers

I have the right …

1. To take care of myself! This is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the capability to take better care of my relative.
2. To seek help from others in providing care, even though my relative may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
3. To maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know I do everything I reasonably can for this person, and I have the right to do some things for myself.
4. To occasionally get angry, be depressed, and express other difficult feelings.
5. To reject any attempt by my relative (either consciously or unconsciously) to manipulate me through guilt, anger, or depression.
6. To ask for consideration, affection, and forgiveness from my loved one for what I do, for as long as I offer these qualities in return.
7. To take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my relative.
8. To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself, that will sustain me in the time when my relative no longer needs my full-time help.