Family caregiving is one of the most challenging—and deeply rewarding—journeys you’ll undertake in your life. In this blog, we’ll explore the many responsibilities and skills of family caregivers and how thousands of family caregivers like you are using GoGoGrandparent as an extension of their care team to provide peace of mind when managing the complexities of family caregiving.

What is a family caregiver? 

Family elder care often refers to a child caring for an aging parent, but that’s not the only relationship found in the family caregiving sphere. You might be a sibling caring for an ailing brother or sister, a spouse helping your partner with daily tasks, or a niece or nephew assuming care of a beloved aunt or uncle. You might even be a neighbor willing to take on more of a caregiving role for a friend with no family.  

Regardless of the relationship, the nuanced duties of a family caregiver are extensive and varied. A family caregiver isn’t just there to provide physical assistance; rather, it’s a multifaceted role that encompasses caring for another person’s emotions, mental health, finances, and so much more. 

Tasks of a family caregiver 

Below are some of the many tasks a family caregiver performs daily, weekly, and monthly. 

Medical advocacy 

Many family caregivers help their loved ones navigate the healthcare system. This includes attending medical appointments, communicating with healthcare professionals, and ensuring their family member receives appropriate and timely medical care. Many family caregivers are the primary point-person for their loved one’s healthcare, and this role demands a level of organization and medical literacy. 

Coordination of care 

Family caregivers often act as coordinators of care in all regards. This includes collaborating with others on the care team, like family members, medical professionals, and healthcare assistants. You also may be responsible for coordinating care schedules and ensuring everyone is on the same page. For example, you might schedule when each sibling is responsible for handling your mother’s medical and household needs, or you might hire and schedule a part-time home health aide to fill in care gaps.  

In some instances, coordination of care requires you to make the tough choice as to whether your loved one should remain at home or move into an assisted living center. Learn more about how to make that decision here. 

Here are some tips for building a collective care team for your loved one: 

• Communication is key. Establish clear channels for sharing information, discussing care plans, addressing concerns, and adapting to changes. 
• Divide responsibilities. Establishing a clear division of labor for each sibling and healthcare professional prevents duplication of efforts and ensures comprehensive care coverage for your loved one. 
• Embrace differences. You and your siblings may not always agree on approaches to family caregiving. Rather than letting these differences become points of contention, try to use your diverse perspectives to bring a more holistic and tailored approach to your family caregiving plan. 
• Use technology for coordination. Shared calendars, messaging apps, and GoGoGrandparents’ Family Features are great ways to get everyone on the same page. We’ll discuss Family Features more later in this article. 

Personal care

Personal care is the task that often comes to mind when people think of family caregiving. Family caregivers are often responsible for assisting with the daily personal care needs of their loved ones, including activities like:

• Grooming assistance (bathing, dressing, oral care, hair care, skin care) 
• Toileting assistance 
• Feeding and meal preparation 
• Mobility assistance 
• Medication management 
• Health management (monitoring vital signs, catheter care, wound care, equipment support, etc.) 

Household management 

Along with personal care, many family caregivers assist in managing household responsibilities for their loved ones. This includes meal preparation, grocery shopping, cleaning, dog walking, and more. Balancing these duties alongside your own household management requires exceptional organizational skills, energy levels, and commitment. 

Financial management 

Family caregivers often manage finances for their loved ones. This includes weekly budgeting, long-term financial planning, paying bills and taxes, handling insurance claims, researching government assistance programs, addressing and lowering debts, tracking expenses, making investment decisions, and collaborating with legal professionals for estate planning. Financial management is one of the most critical aspects of family caregiving because strong finances ensure a sustainable, low-stress life for you and your loved one. 

Emotional support and companionship 

At the core of family caregiving is emotional support. Family caregivers do more than just perform physical tasks. You often become your loved one’s primary point of companionship. Offering a listening ear, being a comforting presence, and engaging in meaningful conversations can be highly meaningful to you both. 

Navigating the emotional challenges of aging and illness can be challenging for both you and your loved one, so it’s important to approach the situation with compassion, patience, understanding, and love. 

You don’t have to be the only companion in your loved one’s life. Part of providing emotional support is encouraging your parent’s external social interaction. You can organize social events or encourage them to try new hobbies to help minimize the loneliness and social isolation so many seniors experience.

Skills and traits required for family elder care 

Don’t underestimate yourself. As a family caregiver, you’ve committed a portion of your life, energy, and learning to caring for another human being. That’s a beautifully rewarding journey that requires skills that will improve your own life long-term: 

• Compassion and empathy

• Adaptability and flexibility
• Advocacy and empowerment 
• Patience
• Resilience
• Organization
• Medical literacy and education 

Learning these family caregiving techniques takes time, but they will help you show up for your loved ones – and yourself – in a sustainable and fulfilling way. 

How to get help with family caregiving 

The tasks and challenges on your plate can quickly get overwhelming. That’s why thousands of family caregivers use GoGoGrandparent as an extension of their family elder care support team. Thanks to our extensive services, GoGoGrandparent has helped hundreds of thousands of family caregivers postpone moving their loved ones into retirement communities.

Here are some ways family caregivers like use GoGo to make their lives easier. 

Transportation

One of the biggest challenges for family caregivers is managing transportation for their loved ones. You probably have a busy schedule, so you can’t always be there to take your parent where they need to go. GoGo Rides is a reliable, safe solution that helps relieve family caregivers of some of these logistical burdens.

With GoGo Rides, your family members can go anywhere they’d like: medical appointments, social events, shops, libraries, gyms, grocery stores, and more. GoGo Rides arranges reliable rides for seniors 24/7. Pickups can happen within fifteen minutes, or you can schedule rides in advance.

Your loved one doesn’t need a smartphone to use GoGoGrandparent. You can request a ride with an operator, phone menu, or online dashboard. Family caregivers can also access their parents’ rides through the Family Features dashboard, letting you schedule, pay for, and monitor your parents’ rides from anywhere. 

Behind the scenes, our GoGo Guardians interview drivers and screen vehicles to ensure the utmost safety for our clients. They match your parent with the best driver on the road to meet their mobility and accessibility needs, and they monitor the ride from start to finish. 

GoGo Rides gives your loved one freedom and independence to stay socially active while you have peace of mind that they’re safe on the road. Learn more about GoGo Rides here. 

Prescription delivery 

Managing your loved one’s medications is generally a weekly, time-consuming task. Reduce your task load – while ensuring your loved one adheres to their medication schedule – with GoGo’s prescription delivery services. GoGo can arrange to have your parent’s medications picked up at their local pharmacy and dropped off right at their door. Behind the scenes, our GoGo Guardians monitor the request and track the delivery from start to finish.

With GoGo Prescription Delivery, your parent will never miss a dose – and you won’t have the headache of dealing with crowded pharmacies. Read about GoGo’s Prescription Delivery here. 

Meal and grocery delivery 

Meal planning, prepping, and cooking are some of the most time-consuming tasks for family caregivers. GoGoGrandparent offers grocery delivery and meal deliveries, so your loved one always has fresh, nutritious food at home. 

With grocery delivery, GoGo helps your parent order groceries, vitamins, and household supplies over the phone. This means no more long lines or carrying heavy bags. Plus, we can save their shopping list so they can easily re-order in a snap. 

If you or your parent don’t feel like cooking, get fresh meals delivered from local restaurants with GoGo Gourmet. But this isn’t ordinary takeout. Our GoGo Guardians talk directly to the restaurants to ensure all meals meet your loved one’s dietary needs and preferences. Our Guardians then track the order from start to finish to ensure the food arrives hot and fresh. 

Home services

Reduce the load of home management with GoGo’s Home Services. GoGoGrandparent helps you find trustworthy, vetted home professionals like landscapers, housekeepers, handymen, snow shovelers, plumbers, dog walkers, caregivers, and so much more. 

Thanks to our GoGo Guardians, family caregivers can rest assured knowing the people entering their loved one’s home are professional, reliable, and trustworthy. 

Family Features

What really makes GoGo unique is our peace-of-mind Family Features. You have access to your loved one’s rides, deliveries, and home services. You can stay informed with real-time updates, text operators with questions, track rides and deliveries, pay for services, and so much more. This is an excellent resource for multiple family caregivers – like siblings – to coordinate their parent’s care in one spot. Learn more about Family Features here. 

Finding support as a family caregiver

Family caregiving is often focused solely on family elder care, but taking care of yourself is equally important. Along with the demands of the job, there are a plethora of emotional challenges that family caregivers face. Family caregiving can be emotionally and physically taxing, so taking time for yourself is essential too. Here are some ways family caregivers can find support: 

• Plan regular breaks. Your routine should include frequent breaks to rest, relax, and engage in activities you enjoy. Even short rest periods can make a huge difference in how you feel and show up for your loved one. 
• Utilize respite care services. Professional respite care offers temporary relief for caregivers, allowing you to take a break while ensuring your family members receive quality care. Respite care can involve part-time home care, vacation care, short-term facility stays, or senior day programs. 
• Engage with support groups. Support groups provide a platform for sharing experiences, exchanging advice, and receiving support from others facing similar challenges. Both in-person groups and online forums can be great resources. 
• Lean on family and friends. Communicate openly with your loved ones about your challenges. Your friends can often be like “caretakers” looking after you while you’re family caregiving for others. 
• Use technology. Explore caregiving apps and online platforms like GoGoGrandparent for practical solutions to help with family caregiving tasks. Some useful technologies include telehealth services, appointment scheduling, and GoGo’s Family Features.  
• Focus on education. Knowledge can be empowering for family caregivers. Workshops, books, YouTube, and online courses can help equip you to navigate family caregiving. 
• Look into grants and programs. Financial strain can be a massive stress for family caregivers. Many organizations offer respite grants or payment programs designed to provide financial support and resources to family caregivers. 
• Seek professional counseling. Family caregivers often grapple with intense stress and complex emotions. Therapy can provide a safe space to express your feelings and develop healthy coping strategies.  

Remember: As they say on airplanes, put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. 

Family caregiving with GoGo

The tasks of a family caregiver can feel overwhelming sometimes. The responsibilities of a family caregiver include medical care, scheduling and collaboration, personal care tasks, household and financial management, emotional support, and more. Although not without its challenges, family caregiving is a rewarding journey that will make your and your family’s life much more beautiful.  

Family caregiving involves a range of responsibilities, from medical advocacy to emotional support. GoGoGrandparent can help lighten the load, providing reliable services that ensure your loved ones receive the best care possible. Register with GoGo today to make caregiving easier and more effective.