Sometimes we’re just driving along life’s scenic journey enjoying the view and suddenly out of nowhere we intersect with something we never saw coming. We get the call the changes the entire trajectory of our intended destination. That is often what it can feel like when we are thrust into a caregiving role. Today’s guest knows this first hand. Aaron Blight, Ed.D., joins us to share his personal story of becoming a family caregiver and how it forever changed his life. Dr. Blight is the author of When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative, and not only is he a professional expert in this field, he’s been there, done that – personally. As founder of Caregiving Kinetics, Dr. Blight has made it his mission to Crack the Caregiving Code!
In this must listen power-hour of enlightYOUment, he shares how caregiving suddenly took its detour into his family’s life, why he wrote his book, When Caregiving Calls, and how prevalent caregiving is in society. We use the metaphoric road trip of life and in doing so, we realize there are many routes one can take to reach a destination, and the same is true with caregiving; Dr. Blight shares the uniqueness of each caregiving situation and that it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. He emphasizes self-care, and even with life’s confusing roundabouts, we don’t always get it right the first time – try “try again” and be easy on yourself regarding your caregiving learning curve – he cites, “showing, guessing, trying” (you’ll have to listen)! Dr. Blight offers the roadmap caregivers are seeking and inspiration they need. But this hour addresses this conversation from all angles, both giving and receiving care.
We also recognize the fear factor surrounding care – and the statistics tell us we should certainly address these. But there’s something else we should address that often doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. It is more typically upstaged with the challenges, emotional and physical exhaustion.
And that is the unexpected and inimitable rewards that arise from caregiving. Hidden amidst the confusion and the hustle and bustle are little pockets of perfection where time stands still and beautiful gifts of love are exchanged. THIS cannot be taken nor duplicated and it forever lines the heart with special depths of tender devotion that is a shared experience between the caregiver and receiver that transcends a lifetime and fleeces the soul with pearls of joy. What a beautiful gift to both give and receive. But that’s the beauty of gifts – they bring delight to both the giver and recipient. And so, it is with caregiving too.
Aaron Blight, Ed.D., is an international speaker and consultant on caregiving, aging, and healthcare. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Healthcare Management and Public Health at Shenandoah University. He has served as a family caregiver, home care company owner, caregiving scholar, and leader at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He was recently recognized as a “Top 100 Healthcare Leader” by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare. To connect with Aaron, invite him to join your caregiver support group to discuss his book, purchase his book, When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative, or learn more about his work, visit him at www.caregivingkinetics.com.
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