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Caregivers and care receivers are together known as care partners. Care partners spend an inestimable amount of time together. As a care partner, how do you approach that time? If you strictly emphasize the tasks you must perform in your caregiving situation, then you will be able to do what must be done. However, if you focus also on the person you’re with, then you can accomplish care-related tasks while developing a more meaningful relationship with your care partner.
Meaningful relationships blossom as people talk with one another. Communication between care partners ought to include more than requisite exchanges that are inherent in the provision of care. With all the time that care partners spend together, there is ample opportunity to get to know one another better.
Chat Starters for Care Partners has been designed to help the two of you make the most of your time by cultivating your personal relationship. Whether you have a short or long history together, I’m confident that this book will introduce topics which the two of you have never discussed before. The idea is easy: simply open the book, find a topic to discuss with your care partner, and start your conversation.
You may want to record or remember what your care partner says, so there’s space next to each chat starter for you to write down a note for yourself or for posterity.
I hope you have fun with these chat starters. If you and your care partner spend a little time each day (or week) with them, you will probably enjoy some laughs together, share some great stories, and grow in mutual respect. You might even learn a few things about yourself.
APRIL 2024 EDIT: Chat Starters for Care Partners is now a free, downloadable resource made publicly available through the Duet Meaning & Hope Institute. To download your copy today, please go to this page on the Duet Meaning & Hope website.
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This introduction, written by Dr. Blight, is included in the new Chat Starters for Care Partners resource book available through Caregiving Kinetics.
Care organizations have the option of acquiring their own co-branded and customizable version of Chat Starters for Care Partners.
For more information, please contact us.
Posted in Organizational Caregiving
