First, when you step into the caregiver role, you should understand it can get stressful, and if you don’t take care of yourself your job will get even more complicated. Start by looking at Jane Hamilton’s Caregiver’s Guide to Self-Care. It will help you understand the causes of caregiver stress and the toll it can take. It includes several self-care steps you can take, eight strategies for building resilience, and numerous resources and references to support your efforts.

Second, look at the Caregiving Resources for services, tools, and materials that can help you provide care more effectively in the caregiving situation you face. The resources are assembled to provide tools to help with different LifeStage Care Situations; children, teenagers, young adult transitions, single, family years, pre-retirement, retirement, and sunset. Think about the care recipient’s age and situation. It could be you, a child, a parent, a grandparent, a sibling, a spouse, or a friend. Each of them will face different situations depending on where they are in life. Then click on that stage to learn more.