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Caregiving: Responsibilities - Sharing the Load
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Caregiver Responsibilities - Sharing the Load
WebMD Medical Reference
The following list indicates a range of care that may be needed by your loved one. Caregiving responsibilities may be too big to be managed by only one primary caregiver. This list of activities is provided to help you determine your loved ones' needs and to discuss as a family how those needs can best be met -- without draining the primary caregiver.
| Things to Do | Time Required | Who Can Help?/How Often? |
| Changing bed linen | ||
| Giving a bath | ||
| Turning & repositioning | ||
| Getting to the shower or tub | ||
| Meeting bathroom needs | ||
| Dressing & grooming | ||
| Feeding breakfast | ||
| Feeding lunch | ||
| Feeding dinner | ||
| Preparing meals & snacks | ||
| Providing wound care / exercises / therapy / other nursing care | ||
| Giving medications | ||
| Doing laundry | ||
| Shopping for food or other essentials | ||
| Getting patient to the doctor | ||
| Finding information about legal and / or financial issues | ||
| Writing checks / managing finances | ||
| Finding information about community resources and support services | ||
| Caring for house | ||
| Caring for yard | ||
| Caring for automobile | ||
| Caring for other family members | ||
| Time out for religious or social occasions | ||
| Other situation-specific needs / commitments: | ||
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Reviewed by Celia E. Dominguez M.D. WebMD, January 2008.
SOURCES: Anita Davis, RN, M.Ed., director of Health Strategies, Nashville, TN. The National Alliance for Caregiving, Bethesda, MD. Family Caregiver Alliance, San Francisco, CA. National Family Caregivers Association, Kensington, MD.
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