Caregivers are the Mortar Holding Together Bricks of Care

Family caregivers and caregiving professionals are a lot like mortar. While there’s far more to caregiving than cement, sand, lime, and water, caregivers hold together the bricks of care.

Geotechnical-Material Engineer, Suryakanta Padhi, describes the properties of mortar. Some of these include durability, resisting rain penetration, workability and affordability. [Update 4/2/2018: Removed URL after receiving suspected phishing site alert.]

These properties are important to ensure the right mix will support bricks of a building or wall, hold paving stones in place for a walkway, or be effective indoors. Family and in-home caregivers, adult day services professionals and care providers in residential homes, assisted living, memory and skilled nursing care homes, who embrace these properties will strengthen the foundation of care.

Durable

Mortar must be strong enough to withstand the ravages of winds, storms and even earthquakes. Caregiving is for the courageous. Caregivers are not called heroes because it’s easy. It requires commitment and preparation. It requires learning as much as possible about a person’s disease or illness to deal with the unexpected.

Resist Rain Penetration

While rains are necessary for growth, over time, they will break down and weaken mortar. When the clouds loom overhead for too long, caregivers need to take a respite. Like mortar, it’s hard to “repair” or replace caregivers. An experienced caregiver takes a step back when the going gets tough. The wise caregiver knows the importance of rest and relaxation. Caregivers who periodically take respites, return refreshed and much stronger during the marathon of caregiving.

Affordable

Family caregivers have diverse alternatives to choose from along the continuum of care and affordability will be key. An in-home caregiver costs about $20 an hour. A full day of adult day services runs about $75. Extended weekends of residential care may cost $400. (Visit Genworth’s 2017 Cost of Care for location-based estimates.) Family caregivers who test each option before a crisis occurs and are open to using a combination of care will be best prepared for the longer term.

Workable

Choosing mortar for special applications, such as a walkway, requires adding latex to the mix. However, others recommend using sand, instead. Similarly, caregivers who are more flexible (workable) to meet the changing needs of their care recipients will find caregiving less stressful. The right combination of care will prevent one from reaching the breaking point of being stretched too thin. The options mentioned earlier are a start. When it’s time to take bigger steps, families opting for assisted living, memory, skilled nursing care, or other options that provide day-to-day care, will give them the time and energy to enjoy being with their loved ones.

Viewing caregiving from these four properties of good mortar – durable, resist rain penetration (or other elements), affordable and workable lays a solid foundation for managing and holding together the bricks of care.