TriVita Wants You To Have A Heart Communicating In Times Of Crisis

In the midst of a family crisis, it can be difficult to keep relatives and friends informed. With trips to the hospital, fatigue and the accompanying emotional stress, calling everyone in your address book can be a challenge. Fortunately, free online resources are available to help you easily keep everyone up-to-date.

CaringBridge

One online resource dedicated to providing free websites for people going through health crises is caringbridge.org. Founded in 1997, CaringBridge is a nonprofit Web service that helps keep families and friends connected during difficult times. Over 150,000 families have created personal websites – and over half a billion people have visited the site. You can create a site for yourself or a loved one. Some of the health crises that have prompted people to create CaringBridge websites include:

• Cancer treatment
• Long-term illness
• Hospice care
• War injury
• Premature birth
• Stroke
• Car accidents
• International adoption
• Rehabilitation

The site was created to be user-friendly, so that everyone in the family – even those new to the Internet – won’t have problems accessing the information. The personal websites are private; they can’t be found via search engines and you control your privacy settings.

Website features

The website offers ways for you to inform others of the latest developments, as well as allowing them to offer words of support and encouragement. There is also a photo gallery option available.

How you can help

Even if you’re not experiencing a crisis, you can help spread the word about this free service.

• Tell everyone you know about this resource; they may know someone who could use it
• Go online and download brochures to hand out; you can also request that materials be sent to you
• If you have a website or blog, link to caringbridge.org
• If you’ve benefited from CaringBridge, share it with others

TIPS FOR HEALTHY CAREGIVING

If you are a caregiver, it can be easy to lose sight of your own personal needs. Take care of yourself, as well as the person in your care.

• take time for yourself – it’s easy to get burned out and lose sight of your own needs. Reserve some time each day for yourself. One option is respite care; someone comes to your house and takes care of the patient for a few hours while you are away.
• Share the load – many caregivers internalize all their stress and conflicting emotions. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others; support groups are available.

Source: TriVita Journal February 2009 pg 11