For Caregivers
"Ordinary People doing Extraordinary things"
Who are we...
(friends, family, spouses and workers) of people living with mental illness play a vital role in the mental health system, yet their needs are often underestimated or overlooked entirely.Taking care of a relative who has a serious mental illness can place considerable strain, not only on the primary caregiver, but also on the friends and other members of the family.
Join us at the Centre for:
Caregiver Connection
This is a monthly gathering of caregivers that takes place the 4th Tuesday of each month at the Centre at 6 pm. Caregivers are given a chance to relax and share their experiences among other caregivers. Presentations by various “educators” are also part of connection night.
Caregiving Bill of Rights by Jo Horne
As Caregiver I have the Right…
- To take care of myself and seek opportunities for respite. This is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the capability of taking better care of my relative.
- To seek help from others even though my relative may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
- To maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for; just as I would if he or she were healthy.
- To get angry, depressed and express other difficult feelings occasionally.
- To reject any attempt by my relative either conscious or unconscious, to manipulate me through guilt, anger, or depression.
- To receive consideration, affection, forgiveness and acceptance for what I do for my loved one, for as long as I offer these qualities in return.
- To take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my relative.
- To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me in the time when my relative no longer needs my full-time help.
- To expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid mentally ill persons, that they become available in our community.