Caregiving Compared to a Personal Assistant
Once in a while, we have heard clients express hesitation in having a caregiver because they view it in a negative light. They have stated, “I don’t like the idea of people assuming I need someone to take care of me.”
We believe it’s an interesting stigma.
The idea of needing to rely on another person may initially be a difficult pill to swallow. Most of us are prideful creatures and that pride and ego are difficult to reason with. The good news is that caregiving is one topic that makes a lot of sense when you look at the entire picture.
Consider a CEO.
CEO’s run around making the “big decisions.” They are called upon to determine the direction of their company and how things should run. Their time is so valuable that minor details of the day are better served when handled by an executive assistant. None of us would view an executive assistant as an insult to someone’s pride, and many of us would love to have one.
In many ways, a caregiver and an executive assistant are one and the same. They are people put into our lives to take care of the details, so we can focus on the important things. Let’s take a moment to examine a caregiver in this capacity.
For example: What’s more valuable? Grandma doing the dishes OR Grandma imparting her knowledge, expertise, and stories of the past 50 years to the next generation?
How about: Grandpa running out to the store OR Grandpa enjoying his favorite show with his grandson?
Maybe: Cleaning the house yourself OR Enjoying a beautiful summer’s day on the porch after you’ve worked your entire life to be comfortable?
Obviously, the answers jump out at us clearly, which is why we need to start viewing ourselves as the CEO’s of our OWN LIVES. Of all the resources in the world, the one which none of us have the ability to directly impact is time. More people are beginning to understand how having someone like a personal assistant or caregiver, to deal with the minor details of the day, frees them up for the things that matter most.
The next time you think about the word “caregiver” change it to “personal assistant” and see how your internal dialog changes.
My mother had Alzheimer’s, and my wife and I had to do full-time jobs to meet the ends. So, I was looking through the internet and found this amazing blog. It gave me the clarity to hire personal assistance for seniors. But this blog helped me rethink the idea of hiring personal assistance or caregivers. More people realize how having a personal assistant or caretaker take care of the minor elements of the day frees them up to focus on the important things.