Talk with other caregivers, and you'll quickly learn that one of the hardest parts of being in this role is dealing with guilt, anxiety, and the constant feeling that you aren't doing enough. (That's why it's essential to let yourself off the hook: you're doing all you can, and that's good enough.) To help protect yourself -- and other involved -- from these feelings, you're going to need to set limits for yourself. And the key to doing this is clear communication.

You may, for instance, need to explain a little more than you ever have before about your job -- what your responsibilities entail, when you can get away, and when you can't. You may need to set some limits around your own family time, such as asking family not to call past a certain point in the evening unless it's an emergency, or setting up a phone tree so that calls about some issues come to you, and others are directed to your siblings or to family friends.