How We’re Raising Future Caregivers With Help From Sam’s Club

There are many goals I have in mind when I am raising my children… I aim to raise boys who are happy, healthy, loving, patient, and tolerant. In line with those hopes is my dream to raise part of the next generation of caregivers. There are a few steps my family and I are actively taking in an effort to raise boys who are truly their for the family that needs them. I’m sharing a few of those ideas today, because I know there must be other parents out there wondering how to do the same in their families. Read on to see how we’re bringing up some future family caregivers, and how you can work on instilling those values in your children too.

RAISING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CAREGIVERS

Read To Remove Fear

Kids’ minds are constantly turning, and my boys are no exception. In our family, we almost always turn to children’s books when we need to discuss a serious topic. My grandmother’s health is no exception. Due to her dementia, her behavior can be unpredictable and erratic at times. Sometimes we see her or other memory care residents yelling, or acting in ways that can be confusing and frightening for kids. By reading – and then re-reading – books that help to explain the changes they are experiencing, we can minimize some of our kid’s fears. Reading together gives them an opportunity to ask questions about what they may have seen during a particular visit. They can also talk about worries they have for the future in regards to health or aging.

The more you read through the books together, the more comfortable your kids will be with what they’re seeing. Identifying concerns and talking through them regularly helps kids feel more secure and understood. In turn, they’ll be better prepare to take on roles as caregivers in the future.

Our top choices: 

• What’s Happening To Grandpa? by Maria Shriver, illustrated by Sandra Speidel
• Now One Foot, Now The Other, stories and pictures by Tomie de Paola
• Little Mama Forgets, by Robin Cruise, pictures by Stacey Dressen-McQueen

Meet Kids Halfway

For my sons, visits to the memory care unit where my grandmother lives can cause a little anxiety at times. The residents typically flock to young children, so my kiddos are very popular when they visit. It can be a little overwhelming to have so many people they don’t really know asking questions, or asking for hugs or kisses. So we allow the boys to set limits when they need to. They can politely tell the residents ‘no thank you’ to hugs (although we’ve discussed many times that many don’t realize they’re being overbearing when asking).

My oldest especially finds it overwhelming sometimes, so I encourage him to pack a book or something small to keep him occupied. When he needs a breather, he can sit quietly and build Legos. My grandmother is typically happy just to have children around her, without needing much conversation or chatter.

Lead By example

Let your kids frequently see yourself and your spouse acting as caregivers. Children are always watching, and learning from your actions. Seeing you as caregivers will set them up to naturally move into those roles as they get older. As a child, my mother had my girl scout troop ‘adopt’ a grandmother at a local nursing home each year. We would visit the residents around the holidays, and spend time helping in little ways. My parents always involved my sister and I when they were caregivers for my great grandmother.

When my grandfather was in a rehabilitation facility, we would bring #thelittleone to visit. He loved to sit on Pop-Pop’s lap and chatter at him while we encouraged my grandfather to do his physical therapy or practice using his new walker. My boys see my parents and myself take my grandmother out for dinner several times a month. They see us helping her to her room, or in and out of cars. They watch as we gently try to reassure her in a moment of confusion or anger. All of these moments are teaching through example how many caregivers act, and what may be expected of them in the future.

Share Your Memories

My children have never known my grandmother in the way that I did. For as long as they have known her, she has been living with dementia. I love sharing photos with them from my childhood, when my grandmother was still vibrant and independent. It’s fun for them to see how she looked (that dyed bright red hair!) and hear about her personality quirks. More than just being fun though, it subtly establishes the idea that time will change people.

The truth is that people who are healthy when they’re young may not always stay that way as they age. By sharing our family history, I am indirectly introducing my sons to the idea that many of our loved ones may need caregivers in the future. Giving them exposure to that idea early, in a non-threatening way allows them to be more patient with the changes we see in my grandmother, as well as have realistic expectations for the future.

Make It Easy Where You Can

No one says that raising a growing family and acting as caregivers to an older family member will be easy. I speak from experience when I say that it can be complicated and overwhelming. Whenever possible, I suggest knowing and setting your own limits. It’s crucial for your own mental health, as well as your children’s happiness. That’s why I love how Sam’s Club’s Caregivers Program is making my family’s role so much easier than it used to be.

My parents or I can pick up my grandmother’s necessities on a regular Sam’s Club run, rather than having to run to a special medical supply store. They even have the option to order online and pick it up right at the store – no more trying to wrangle kids and a cart while I shop! Alternatively, we can also order exactly what she needs online to have it delivered in discreet packaging – because I’m not entirely in the mood to have the mail carrier assume I’m in adult diapers quite yet! Plus, buying the essentials wholesale saves money, which is ideal for my grandmother’s fixed income!

As my grandmother’s condition continues to change, and her Alzheimer’s Disease progresses, I’m grateful for the wide variety of products Sam’s Club has available for caregivers. Her toileting is becoming less and less independent as time progresses. As a result, the option to easily change our purchases from Poise liners and pads to Depend products is ideal. My grandmother’s diet is becoming increasingly finicky and less nutritionally sound, so we’ll be adding Ensure Nutrition Shakes to our orders in the near future as well.

Being able to get so much of what we need for her care from one shop is exactly what we need to make our jobs as caregivers a little less stressful. In turn, that minimal stress allows me to focus on what my kids need as much as possible. My parents and I can better help them through all the changes my grandmother is going through because our basic caregivers needs are so well covered through the solutions Sam’s Club offers.

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Have you taken an active role in raising future caregivers? How are you instilling that value in your children? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!