In Your Own Words: Lessons learned from a nurse & family caregiver

In your own words…

Hello KIRC family and thanks for stopping by. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest subscribers and say ‘thank you’ to all of you taking the time to read KIRC, share with others and contribute information.

As we continue to grow our community here at Substack, one goal is to create space for greater engagement among all of us.

I invite you to consider sharing some of your experiences, lessons learned, insight and wisdom for a regular segment – ‘In Your Own Words.’

For today’s update, Keeping It REAL Caregiving is hearing from Tracy Crump – a family caregiver, nurse, and author.

Thank you Tracy for sharing your insights.

Can you share with the KIRC family a little bit about yourself?

I’m a former ICU nurse and homeschool mom who now writes, mostly in the Christian market.

I’ve published hundreds of articles, devotions, and short stories and one book—‘Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness.’

I also do freelance editing, proofread for Farmers’ Almanac, and conduct workshops, mostly on writing, and I started a blog called Caregivers Corner earlier this year.

How long have you been a caregiver & in what capacity?

I was primary caregiver for my parents (Jean and Terry) for six years and then my mother-in-law (Fairsee) for four years. I was able to keep my parents in their own home for most of that time, and my MIL (mother-in-law) lived with us. They’ve all passed away.

What are three key ‘lessons learned’ or pieces of advice you have for other caregivers?

  1. To advocate for my loved one. My mother was misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when she had a treatable condition called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

  2. To appreciate our elderly—Many times people talk “over” the elderly as if they all have dementia, but my 100-year-old MIL had much to contribute. It was beautiful to see our church members value her experience and wisdom.

  3. To be bold in addressing problems – I dreaded asking my dad to give up driving, but he had been thinking the same thing after he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake pulling into the garage (and didn’t tell me).

What were two of your biggest challenges?

Finding good caregivers and keeping two households running.

What did you love/dislike most about your caregiving role?

I loved being able to take care of my loved ones as they took care of my husband and me.

I disliked the utter exhaustion it produced at times.

To learn more about Tracy and her work, visit her website. You can also check out her book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness – Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness.

We are all in this together

Keeping it REAL Caregiving extends a huge ‘thank you’ to Tracy for sharing part of her journey with all of us.

It is my belief that as caregivers we must all work together because we are all in this together. We owe it to those coming after us to impart the little nuggets of wisdom we have learned in order to help make the journey for others – perhaps – a bit smoother.

What are some of your ‘lessons learned’ or practical ‘need to know’ information do you think could help someone else? Keeping It REAL Caregiving would love to hear from you!

Submit your ‘nuggets of wisdom’ for consideration for an upcoming post, leave a comment for discussion, and we would love for you to share!

Until next time~
Julia