Video Transcript
[0:00] Welcome to Caregiver SOS by Bay Alarm Medical. My name is Haley Burress. I’m a caregiving expert here to talk about the ugly side of caregiving that no one talks about — the most frustrating and challenging parts of caring for an aging family member, and how to get through it.
[0:15] Sometimes caregiving can bring up unexpected feelings or events. Here’s our question. “My dad and I never had a good relationship, and I even went no-contact with him for quite a few years in my 20s. Now I’m helping him out with a few things each week because he’s having a lot of pain and mobility challenges. But helping him has brought up a lot of unpleasant childhood memories and rehashed some trauma that I thought I had already worked through.”
[0:52] It can be disorienting to become the caregiver of an aging parent — the roles feel swapped. But this can be even more challenging when there’s a history of trauma, whether that is abuse or otherwise.
[1:10] Caregiving might not be healthy for you right now, and that’s okay. You might need to help out in other ways, even long distance. You might need to bow out completely, giving the caregiving role to a home care agency or another service.
[1:25] Work with your therapist to sort out these feelings that are resurfacing first. Your mental health and safety are the priority. Take care of yourself.
[1:40] Like and subscribe for more caregiving advice.
