Millions of Americans coping with disabilities, illnesses, and chronic health conditions rely on family members, friends, and neighbors to get by. Caregiving is so much part of our national ethos, in fact, an estimated 34 million adults have served as unpaid caregivers to someone age 50 or older in the previous 12 months, according to a recent study.
Family caregivers must learn, among many other things, to manage someone else's medications; to talk to doctors and nurses on their behalf; to help them bathe or get dressed; and to generally take care of their household tasks, finances, meals, and so on.
This guide will help prepare you for managing the day-to-day activities for a parent, spouse, sibling, or adult child with a chronic condition who cannot care for him or herself. We've covered all the basics in an easy-to-understand format.