FEATURE ARTICLE:

The Fine Art of Virtual Hugging

There are only four kinds of people in the world.

Those who have been caregivers.

Those who are currently caregivers.

Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in the book Helping Yourself Help Others.

There is a world of difference between those of us who are (or were) family caregivers and those who have not yet joined our ranks. Note Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s prophetic statement above.

I feel one main difference between being a caregiver and not being a caregiver so many times is having received the proverbial telephone call received out of the blue—the call that informs us of a loved one’s accident, a wandering episode or even from the physician with the dreaded test results. We are suddenly thrust through a caregiver’s version of the “Alice in Wonderland Looking Glass” where we found ourselves unceremoniously dropped into a world of never-before felt stresses, bizarre acronyms for nearly everything, and too few sure answers to the most important questions about our loved one’s well-being.

One of the best answers on how to navigate this new word is to try and not do it alone. An answer certainly made more complicated through a pandemic.

In fact, the secret sauce to the Fearless Caregiver Conferences is that not only have they been opportunities to learn from healthcare professionals and advocates, but they’ve acted as really large support groups, with caregivers sharing, learning and interacting with one another. And the hugs were great, as well.

We’ve recently taken to utilizing the magic Zoom box to replicate the interactions we’ve enjoyed at the in-person events. If the first one was any measure, we may have come pretty darn close. The conversations, support and answers to caregiving questions were as just as lively and informative as the in-person events. With one important exception- virtual hugs just aren’t the same as the real ones!

Stay safe. Stay informed and see you soon.

Our sincere thanks to Gary for sharing their valuable insights on caregivers.

Article by Gary Berg Editor in Chief Cargiver.com ■