Summary

The article "The Unseen Struggles of Caregivers" provides a personal account of the challenges faced by caregivers, including difficult clients, unexpected situations, and the emotional toll of the job.

Abstract

The narrative delves into the day-to-day experiences of a professional caregiver, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the job. From dealing with a dry well and an invasion of cattle in the morning to facing rude comments from clients, the author illustrates the resilience required in caregiving. The article also touches on the serious issue of client harassment and the need for vigilance against scams targeting the elderly. Despite these challenges, the author emphasizes the dedication and selflessness inherent in caregiving, acknowledging it as a demanding yet rewarding vocation that necessitates a strong support system and a deep understanding of the clients' needs and behaviors.

Opinions

The author suggests that maintaining professionalism in the face of provocation from clients is crucial.
There is an underlying frustration with clients who make insensitive or rude comments about the caregiver's personal life.
The author implies that some clients may have unrealistic expectations of reciprocity from their caregivers.
The article conveys a sense of satisfaction in resolving misunderstandings and educating clients, particularly regarding scams.
There is a clear opinion that caregiving is not just a job but a significant commitment that requires emotional strength and dedication.
The author values the support from fellow caregivers and writers within the Medium community, as evidenced by the tagging of specific individuals.
The author encourages readers to engage with the content by sharing and following, indicating a belief in the importance of raising awareness about caregivers' experiences.
The author promotes the benefits of a paid Medium membership, suggesting that it supports writers directly and provides readers with unlimited access to content.

The Unseen Struggles of Caregivers

Every day is a new adventure.

All caregivers have had “that one client,” you know, the one that, no matter what you do, they still manage to say something that gets under your skin. As a professional caregiver, I’m pretty good at letting it roll off my back. However, I’ve had a few clients that have really managed to start an all-out war.

My mornings aren’t normally hectic; however, this particular morning, our well had gone dry, and I was frustrated about that. I knew that being gone all day would likely be full when I returned. The next thing that happened, I wouldn’t have ever anticipated. I heard a loud honking as I was walking one of our smaller dogs. I had my car warming up and was in a bit of a hurry, so I was hurrying the dog along. He turned around to go back to the house, and that’s when I heard it a loud mooing.

I put the dog back in his kennel and grabbed my bag; as I arrived at my car, I looked up, and that’s when I saw them, about 30 head of cattle, walking into our property from the main road where someone in a red Toyota pickup truck had herded them off of the main road.

I had no idea who these cattle belonged to, but I needed to find out before I could get out of the driveway for work. I made six phone calls before I found the owners; of course, they were out of town for the day. After telling them where my farm was located, I closed my gate, keeping their herd safe.

After my hectic morning, I arrived at my client’s house at 11:30, which was my normal start time for this particular client. As I was preparing to vacuum her house, she said very rudely, “I bet your house is filthy.”

“Why would you say that?” I asked, “Because you’re always at my house.” She replied. I wasn’t sure what to say. I pictured my house, my private oasis, in my mind. It wasn’t spotless by any means, but it wasn’t filthy, either. I felt the anger and frustration of my morning trying to edge its way out of my mouth. I clamped my lips shut and took a few deep breaths, calming myself.

After collecting my thoughts, I told her that my family helped me out a lot and made sure that things were kept up and clean. “Oh good,” she said, “I was worried that I needed to go and clean your house for you since you clean mine for me.” I laughed. “It doesn’t work that way,” I replied. The rest of the day was a breeze. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of understanding why the client is saying something. In her case, she thought we were supposed to swap each other's houses for housekeeping.

The next unseen struggle came with one of our agency clients. This man was just downright obnoxious. His idea of a good time was to harass his caregivers constantly. If he wasn’t trying to snake his hand up your shirt, he was telling you why he thought we should all wear mini-skirts.

After several complaints from various caregivers, the boss headed to his house to “investigate.” Upon her arrival, she thought we were making things up until she walked around a corner, and he tried the same stunt on her. The solution? After that episode, she sent one of the male caregivers to this guy's house. We had no more issues with him.

As I walked into my client’s house, she immediately told me she needed to use my phone because hers was dead. I asked her why she hadn’t charged it, and she told me, “I can’t tell you. I need your phone. It’s very important.” She hurriedly told me.

I pondered this. I asked her who she needed to call, and she finally blurted out the truth, “I have a money-making opportunity, and I need to call and let him know I can pay him the money for the package.”

I immediately took my phone back up off of the table where I had placed it for her to use. “This is a scam.” I calmly told her.

“That’s what the lady at the pharmacy told me, too, when I tried to mail the package,” she told me.

It took me the better part of the day to settle her down and show her how such scams work before she would believe me.

These are just three of many stories that I’ve experienced as a caregiver. Caregiving isn’t a job for the lighthearted. It takes a lot of dedication and time to be a good caregiver. You’re going to be giving of yourself at all times.

Here’s another article of mine that talks about caregiving.

Finding Peace

Coping with the long, slow goodbye of a loved one with dementia.

medium.com

I’m tagging a few of my fellow writers who have been very supportive of me lately and have asked me to tag them. I appreciate all of you so very much! If you get a chance, be sure to follow them and read some of their articles.

Jan Sebastian 🖐👩‍🦰, Zara Le Roux, Tracey Folly, Chantal Christie Weiss, and Too Few Soar.

Please let me know if you wish to be removed from (or added to) the tagging list, preferably in the comments.

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