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A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER
“Every time it rains, it rains pennies from Heaven,” or so the song goes. No doubt all of us wish that were true, especially for those who have delayed filing taxes or don’t anticipate receiving a refund. There are many deep emotions, conflicts, and anxieties around the topic of money, which become even more complex as they align with caregiving. Yet, the topic is unavoidable; care has a cost.
AARP estimates caregivers spend an average of $7,200 out-of-pocket annually and risk losing more than $300,000 in lifetime salary and benefits should they choose to step out of their career to be a primary caregiver. Understanding the impact of financial decisions is important.
Caregiven strives to empower users — and those they care for — to have challenging conversations around money and the costs of care. We also hope to help individuals who are providing financial support for someone to recognize that they are caregivers. Their contributions are just as important as the time afforded by others.
It's important to pick up the penny that caught your eye, too. Not only do we know from Benjamin Franklin that “a penny saved is a penny earned,” but many believe a heads-up penny brings good luck. Personally, I believe it’s a penny from Heaven, reminding me of my dad.
Best wishes,
This Month's Blogs
In addition to our focus on April being Financial Literacy Month, we’ve also just completed Medication Safety Week. Taking place April 1-7, the event was created to educate individuals on the importance of safely managing prescriptions, understanding adverse drug reactions, and raising overdose awareness.
Our first blog speaks specifically to this topic, while our second touches on the many hats we wear when caregiving and opportunities to engage others who may offer a different type of support. Caregiving is challenging, especially when trying to do it alone. As such, we characterize it as a journey — which is typically less difficult and more memorable when shared. Our third piece discusses the challenge of acknowledging our role as caregivers and seeking support.
FEATURE FOCUS - THE CARE JOURNEY
There is often a moment when someone realizes the additional support they are providing another person is changing who they are; in essence, acts of care are not isolated events but rather a part of a larger experience. “Helping out now and then,” has evolved to, “worrying more than they used to.” This is not unlike the difference between taking a trip and going on a journey. Caregiving demonstrates that distinction and our Care Journey characterizes how we recommend educational content and encourage action.
The Care Journey was designed to:
- Empower shared decision making
- Facilitate meaningful communication
- Strengthen existing caring bonds for all involved
We believe this is best accomplished when we’re able to identify phases of the journey, much like trails on a hiking path. Each phase aligns with an emotional stage. We recognize that the landmarks of the trail you are on may be overshadowed, at the moment, by the simple feeling of being on that trail. Within the caregiving experience, there are similar emotional phases that everyone will encounter, regardless of how unique a situation is.
A level of comfort is possible with this knowledge, lessening what otherwise may feel like a lonely trek on an isolated path.
The Care Journey is not straightforward. Caregiving itself is a series of steps forward, back, sideways, and at times just sitting still. Content within Caregiven is meant to be evergreen, resonating if you are new to the experience or if you’ve been involved for a while, as well as informative, empowering, and honest. There are milestones within each phase, again using our hiking analogy — stops along the trail we wouldn't want you to overlook.
For any hero concluding a Hero’s Journey, the physical, mental, and emotional experiences which transpired were transformational. Caregiven offers the Care Journey feature to support you every step of the way.
IN CLOSING
“The best journeys in life are those that answer questions that at the outset you never thought to ask.” — Rick Ridgeway