Gimme A Break! · YES YOU CAN!

Gimme A Break!

Give Each Other a Break

Scripture: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

Tip: Don’t just tell a caregiver to take a break. Look for one specific thing you can do that makes it possible for them to actually take one.

Reminder: Sometimes the greatest gift we can give a caregiver is a little time when they do not have to be responsible for everything.

Years ago, I worked as the administrator of an adult day care program. Every day, family caregivers would bring their loved ones to us. For several hours, they could go to work, run errands, take care of things at home, or simply have some time when they were not responsible for providing every moment of care.

One day, we decided to do something special for those family caregivers. As they dropped off their loved ones, I handed them Kit Kat candy bars. There was a reason I chose Kit Kats. Many of us remember the catchy Kit Kat jingle: “Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!” It was fun and familiar, but that day the words had a much deeper meaning. We really were giving those caregivers a break.

Looking back, I realize the candy bar was not really the gift. The break was the gift.

For a family caregiver who spends day after day caring for someone, a few hours can mean so much. It might be enough time to go grocery shopping without rushing, have lunch with a friend, take a nap, go to an appointment, or simply sit somewhere quietly without listening for someone who needs them. For that period of time, someone else was helping carry the responsibility.

I think we sometimes make caregiver support more complicated than it needs to be. We tell caregivers, “Make sure you take care of yourself,” or “You really need to take a break.” Those words are well intended, but then the caregiver goes right back to everything that needs to be done. The more helpful question might be, “What can I do that will actually give you a break?”

If you know a family caregiver, offer something specific. Tell them you will take care of a chore. Bring them dinner. Sit with their loved one while they get out of the house. Give them an hour when they know someone trustworthy is there and they do not have to be responsible for everything. Instead of simply encouraging them to take a break, help create the break for them.

We can do this for our fellow caregivers at work too. Look around at the person who has been running all day. Maybe you can cover something while they sit down for a few minutes. Maybe you can take one task off their workload. Sometimes saying, “I’ve got this. Go take your break,” can be one of the most caring things we do for another caregiver.

There is another side to this. When someone offers us a break, we have to be willing to receive it. Caregivers are often so accustomed to being the helpers that accepting help can feel uncomfortable. We may automatically say, “No, I’m fine.” But allowing another person to carry something for a little while is not giving up our responsibility. It is recognizing that we were never meant to carry everything by ourselves.

Caregivers do not always need someone to fix everything. Sometimes they simply need someone willing to carry one piece of the load long enough for them to breathe.

So here is my challenge today. Think of one caregiver you know and find a way to give them a real break. Do not just tell them they deserve one. Help make it happen. And if you happen to have a Kit Kat bar, give them one too. You might even sing that old jingle and have a little fun with it.

The candy bar may make them smile, but make sure the message behind it is even sweeter: I see how much you are carrying. You are not alone. Let me give you a break.

Keep on Caring,

Jeremy

If you like this you can follow me for more at Skool Mighty Caregivers and Online at Mighty Caregivers

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Gimme A Break!