Page 46 - Bulletin, Vol.81 No.1, May 2022
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FAMILY CARER
BY PATRICIA SAYOUR
What does it mean to be a "Family Carer"?
Definition: A family carer is a person who regularly gives up their time (once a
week or more) to help a relative of any age who is suffering from ill health or loss
of independence. A carer may be a spouse, parent, child, brother or sister, friend
or neighbour.
Thanks to their support, the person being cared for can maintain social contact
with their family and friends and stay at home longer. As a carer, you may, for
example, take care of the coordination and organisation of daily life, manage the
administration and finances or provide care.
The definition of "Caregiver" is simple. But in practical terms, it means that the work that
the carer does for the person being cared for and loved will gradually upset their own
balance. Sometimes, depending on the situation of the carer (family support, dependent
child, professional work, other occupations) this changing balance will also affect those
around him/her.
Thus, supporting a parent, child, spouse, brother, friend or neighbour who is suffering or
losing his or her autonomy can be a task that can lead to exhaustion.
Before this double workload causes complications or impacts on one's own health, it is
important that the carer seeks help to preserve his or her strength.
As we know, fatigue leads to a multitude of inappropriate reactions. So preserving one's
resources when one is a caregiver remains the key to a serene relationship.
Testimony:
Patricia, 61, looked after her 91-year-old mother for several years.
After my father's death, I naturally looked after my mother, who found herself helpless in
the face of this sudden solitude.
44 AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 81 No. 1, 2022-05