Resilience is the ability to adapt to difficult situations.
Resilient caregivers find the strength to continue to help others, even in the face of adversity. Caregiver resilience is developed across five domains represented by “R” words: Roles, Relationships, Realities, Rewards, and Readiness.
If you’re ready to explore your position across the five domains of caregiving resilience, contemplate the questions below or enjoy a downloadable version of this exercise.
Use the questions below to explore your position across the five domains of caregiver resilience.
The Story
Understanding the ROLES
- How would you describe your caregiver role? How do you feel about it?
- What is your personal caregiving storyline?
- What other roles do you occupy in your life, and how have these been impacted by your caregiver role?
The People
Honoring RELATIONSHIPS
- How would you describe your relationship—past and present—with your care receiver?
- How has caregiving affected your relationships with not only your care receiver but also others? How do you feel about these changes?
- What can you do to address your current relationship needs?
The Hard
Confronting REALITIES
- What is hard about being a caregiver?
- What are the physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual realities you must confront as you care?
- How can you respond effectively to your specific caregiving challenges?
The Good
Cultivating REWARDS
- What is rewarding about being a caregiver?
- How has caregiving improved your understanding of life, other people, yourself?
- How can you continue to cultivate the positive aspects of caregiving?
The Preparation
Practicing READINESS
- What are the skills you can improve to deliver care today?
- What capabilities will you need to offer care in the future?
- How will you develop the readiness that is required to help your care receiver, now and into the future?