
One of the more stressful aspects of taking care of an older adult is the not knowing. Nobody knows the future, obviously, but a caregiver's is doubly affected by the mysteries of someone else's reality, over which you have little control: How long will this phase of your life go on? How will the person's medical condition(s) progress? And what will that be like? How long can a parent live alone? How long can you stretch out the money? What about your own health, or marriage, or job; will they hold steady?
Many caregivers deal with the stress by using one of the following coping strategies. Unfortunately these comforting old saws are often more like traps: less calming than they first seem. Escape by giving them a few tweaks.
Trap: "Take it one day at a time."
Better: Take a peek around the corner.
Taking a hard situation day by day brings the undeniable benefit of making 24 hours seem less overwhelming... Read more












