I want to share something a little personal with all of you. I am beginning preparations for a medical mission to Mindanao, Philippines in June 2027, and this will be the first medical mission I’m helping coordinate. And if I’m being truthful, I’m nervous. Actually I’m downright scared. There are so many people to care for, so many details to coordinate, and so much responsibility that comes with trying to serve a community well. The medical team, medications, supplies, travel, logistics, funding, partnerships—it can feel overwhelming when I think about everything that has to come together. Maybe some of you understand that feeling. As caregivers, we often step into situations because someone needs us—not because we feel completely prepared. We carry responsibility, worry about the people depending on us, and sometimes wonder whether we have enough strength, time, or resources to do what needs to be done. That is a little of what I’m feeling right now. But I also believe there is something powerful about a community coming together around a shared purpose. So today, I’m not asking for anything other than your prayers. Please pray for wisdom as we plan. Pray for the right people to come alongside us. Pray that the medications, supplies, resources, and funding we need will be provided. Pray for protection over everyone who will serve. And most importantly, pray for the children, families, and communities we will have the privilege of caring for. My prayer is simple: God, help us serve well. Help us love people well. And help us remember why we said yes in the first place. This mission may be happening thousands of miles away, but the heart behind it is something we understand deeply in this community: Caring for another human being matters. ❤️ If you’ll keep this mission in your prayers over the months ahead, leave a 🙏🏽 below. And please share—what can our community pray for you about today?

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❤️ Depression and Caregiving: We Must Care for the Mind Too When someone you love has cancer, caregiving can become your entire world. You wake up thinking about medications. You go to sleep listening for movement. You worry about the next scan. The next treatment. The next bill. The next symptom. And somewhere in the middle of caring for everyone else, you can begin to disappear. Depression in a cancer caregiver is not something we should ignore or simply tell someone to “push through.” There are practical, evidence-based things we can do to help. And some of them can begin today. ❤️ Every Care Plan Should Protect Three Things ❤️ The patient’s dignity 🛡️ The patient’s health and safety 💪 The caregiver’s physical AND emotional health You cannot separate emotional health from caregiving. Depression can affect: • Sleep • Energy • Concentration • Memory • Motivation • Relationships • Physical health • Ability to make decisions • Ability to provide safe care Caring for the caregiver is part of caring for the patient. 🔄 Depression Can Create a Withdrawal Cycle Depression often whispers: “Stay in bed.” “Don't call anybody.” “Nothing will help.” “I don't feel like doing anything.” So we withdraw. We stop doing things we once enjoyed. We stop seeing people. We stop exercising. We stop going outside. And the less rewarding activity we have in our lives, the worse we may feel. Then depression tells us to withdraw even more. We have to interrupt that cycle. 🎯 Behavioral Activation: ACTION BEFORE MOTIVATION One of the most practical and well-supported approaches is called behavioral activation. The idea is beautifully simple: Don't wait until you feel motivated to act. Act—and allow motivation and mood to follow. Research in caregivers has found meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms with behavioral activation. This does not mean pretending to be happy. It means deliberately putting small pieces of life back into your day. 📝 Step 1: Track What Affects Your Mood For several days, make a simple note of:

💧 Dehydration and Heat Illness: Catch It Early—Cool Fast When It’s Serious Dehydration and heat-related illness are often preventable. But when they are missed, they can quickly become dangerous—especially in an older adult with cancer. For caregivers, the most important skills are: Recognize the warning signs early. Offer fluids before thirst becomes severe. Know when heat exhaustion has become heat stroke. For suspected heat stroke: call 911 and start cooling immediately. ❤️ Every Hydration and Heat-Safety Plan Should Protect Three Things ❤️ The patient’s dignity 🛡️ The patient’s health and safety 💪 The caregiver’s health and safety Caregivers often focus so completely on the patient that they forget their own hydration, meals, rest, and heat exposure. That is dangerous too. A dehydrated, exhausted caregiver is more likely to make mistakes, lose balance, injure their back, or miss an important change in the patient. ⚠️ Why Cancer Patients May Be at Higher Risk An older patient with cancer may become dehydrated more easily because of: • Reduced thirst sensation • Poor appetite • Nausea • Vomiting • Diarrhea • Fever • Weakness • Difficulty obtaining drinks independently • Difficulty swallowing • Certain medications • Cancer treatment effects Some cancer treatments and medications may also affect temperature regulation or electrolyte balance. That means the caregiver cannot rely on: “He’ll drink when he gets thirsty.” By the time an older adult feels very thirsty, dehydration may already be developing. 👀 Recognizing Dehydration Do not depend on one sign alone. Dry skin, mouth dryness, or urine color can be helpful, but they are not always reliable in older adults. Instead, look for a pattern. Watch for: ⚠️ New confusion ⚠️ Increased sleepiness ⚠️ Delirium ⚠️ Drinking less than usual ⚠️ Reduced urination ⚠️ Darker urine ⚠️ Dry mouth ⚠️ Weakness ⚠️ Dizziness when standing ⚠️ Rapid pulse ⚠️ Ongoing vomiting or diarrhea ⚠️ Fever ⚠️ Sudden worsening of balance New confusion may be one of the most important warning signs in an older adult.

A Framework Derived from Ray Dalio’s Concept of Principles Abstract of Framework Family caregiving constitutes a recurring and structurally demanding experience characterized by constant demand coupled with limited control. Drawing upon Ray Dalio’s conception of principles as fundamental truths that enable consistent, effective responses to recurring situations, this framework articulates eight evidence-based principles for family caregivers. These principles—systematic self-assessment, non-negotiable self-care, structured education and skills training, adaptive problem-solving, deliberate construction of support networks, collaborative person- and family-centered practice, realistic boundary-setting, and multicomponent longitudinally sustained support—are derived from systematic reviews, consensus reports, and national guidelines, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2016) and subsequent syntheses. Each principle targets either the demand side of the caregiving equation, the control side, or both, thereby converting reactive overload into more intentional and sustainable practice. The CareCFA Community on Skool is presented as a living peer-support environment designed to operationalize these principles through structured onboarding, cultural norms of self-care, skill-sharing, continuous peer networks, and explicit attention to boundary-setting and long-term sustainability. Collectively, the principles and their community application offer caregivers a practical classification system for navigating the caregiving “blizzard,” restoring measurable agency where possible, and reducing the experience of unremitting demand. Continued dissemination of such evidence-informed approaches remains essential as demographic pressures intensify both the prevalence and intensity of family caregiving responsibilities. If you are interested in applying these eight Principles into your life, you are encouraged to visit our Classroom section and take the course. The course contains exercises for each of the Principles as well as a Worksheet that you can use during the course. The Worksheet is in Word format. Please note, in order to take the course you must be signed-in as a member. The course can be taken during the 7-Day Trial Period. Thank you.