Family Caregiving 101

With aging parents and in-laws, this is an issue near and dear to me. I am so thankful to come across this post in The Outbox:

Many families in America are caught in the double bind of caring for aging parents while still raising children at home. I see the scenario of caregiving needs playing out all the time in our congregation, and congregations across the country. There are lots of great programs out there for equipping us to be caregivers (such as Stephen Ministry).

Just came across a website called Family Caregiving 101. It is a resource particularly for families who are in the situation of caregiving — but it should also be a great equipping resource for missional Christians who have opportunities to reach out to caregivers around them. A quote from the site

No one wants to think about adversity. No one wants to see it staring them in the face. And yet that is what people need to do if they are going to be our friends. They will have to put their fears aside and learn how to maneuver a wheelchair and possibly learn how to communicate with us in a new way. That’s why they are friends, and we will cherish them all the more for sticking by us because we know that so many others have a hard time dealing with our changed situation and will drift away.

It’s a secular site — our challenge is learning to extend the care in Christ’s name.