Staying Afloat on the Seven C's: Preserving Your Capacity to Care
The Seven C’s are self-care and stress management materials that address the specific needs of family caregivers.
C1: Check and see: Am I a caregiver?
You may not think of yourself as a caregiver, even though you do a lot to help your loved ones. If you help a family member or friend in any of the ways listed below, you can consider yourself a family caregiver.
- Providing physical care: feed, bathe, dress, groom, toilet, support when walking
- Managing household affairs: cook, clean, shop, launder clothes, repair home, help with relocation
- Managing personal affairs: medicine, finances, legal, insurance, care coordination, transportation
- Providing emotional or social support: help with behavior, moods, socializing, decisions
C2: Consider the facts about caregiver stress
If you are among the ranks of the almost 50 million Americans are caring for loved ones, you are not alone. Learn practical ways to manage caregiver stress and maintain your capacity to care.
C3: Care for yourself as you care for others
Self-care helps you cope, stay healthy and continue caring for those who need you. Learn helpful ideas for self-care that you can put into practice today.
C4: Center yourself
You need strength, wisdom and calm energy to handle the challenges of being a caregiver. Learn how to harness, conserve and replenish your energy so you can keep on caring.
C5: Channel your thoughts
One powerful way to keep upbeat in the face of caregiving challenges is to think in positive, hopeful ways. Learn realistic ways to harness the power of optimism and correct negative thinking errors.
C6: Choose wisely
Caregiver’s choices can be complicated, life-altering and emotional. Faced with important or difficult choices, ask seven significant questions about what you are choosing and how you are making choices.
C7: Cultivate community
Picture your network of friends, family and professional contacts as a well-stocked refrigerator that is filled with food to sustain you. Follow nine clever suggestions for connecting with and being fed by others.