Guest post by Jen Baylor

We all know that caregiving can be a demanding role. My first caregiving experience was as a paid caregiver, starting at three hours a night for two to three nights per week—making dinner, putting out trash, folding and putting away laundry, etc.

But as my care recipient’s dementia worsened and she required round-the-clock care, I spent more time in her home, including overnights. Some of those nights were smooth, but other nights, we were up every hour and a half to two hours.

Then it came time to care for my own grandmother, also diagnosed with dementia. I’d leave my overnight job on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. to care for Nana and stay with her until 5 p.m. and then get up on Sunday to do it over again. All of this while working full time at an office job.

The lack of sleep didn’t make any of these roles easier, but here are a few things that helped me during this very stressful time. Though I’m sure none of this is new information for you, I hope these will be good reminders:

1. Find a tribe. I had two aunts I could talk to—one was a nurse, and the other lived with and cared for Nana. Both understood how challenging the fatigue and sadness about their deteriorating conditions could be, and they provided great support. So identify your tribe and lean on them. Don’t feel bad about it. There will be a time when they need your strength, too. It’s what love does.
2. Sleep all you can, when you can. Occasionally it was a short nap when one of them napped or early to bed when I wasn’t with them.
3. Simplify some of your tasks. I routinely ordered groceries online and picked them up or had them delivered rather than spending time in the store. I also set up bills to pay automatically so I wouldn’t forget.
4. Pray. Many of those nights and days, I uttered prayers for strength, patience, love, and a gracious spirit. And I prayed for these dear ladies. So often, I imagined myself in their shoes and considered how I would want to be treated in the same situation, and I gave my best to treat them with love, gentleness, respect, and dignity.

My flesh and my heart faileth: But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Psalm 73:26 KJV

Jen Baylor humbly confesses that she’s a sinner saved by grace and a slow work in progress to become more like Jesus. She recently moved from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Tupelo, Mississippi, so she could be closer to her siblings. She’s also a proud Navy mom who loves to read.

Tracy Crump dispenses hope in her award-winning book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness (CrossLink Publishing, 2021). A former intensive care nurse, she cared for her parents and her mother-in-law and understands both the burdens and joys of caregiving. Her devotions have been featured in Guideposts books, The Upper Room, and many other publications, and she has contributed 22 stories to Chicken Soup for the Soul® books. She also conducts writing workshops, freelance edits, and proofreads for Farmers’ Almanac. But her most important job is Grandma to five completely unspoiled grandchildren.