Should a family member become a caregiver? - Kim Eberhardt Muir, MS

Having a member of your family be your caregiver can be a reality for a lot of people.  However, we often times will say, “If you can hire somebody, or have somebody else do that, it may be easier with roles.”  And roles meaning, wife, husband, sister, brother and keeping that role delineated from caregiver.  Sometimes caregiver-spouse role can blend in.  What happens with that is some people start to lose an aspect of the relationship that they very much valued, because that person is always looked at as a caregiver.  And especially with things like bowel and bladder care, really things that are very difficult, I think, still when you go home to deal with on a day-to-day basis.  Some people just get a caregiver for things that are very tough for them.  Bathing, bowel and bladder care, if they can.  Some people say, you know, “I’m fine with it.  It actually gives us more time to communicate throughout the day, and I get to spend time with my wife, or my husband, or my, my daughter that way—an older daughter.  But, I think it’s up to the person, but I think in general, if you can have a break from that with a family member, and have somebody else do it.  It does make sometimes for a healthier relationship within a family, or with a spouse, or a relationship.