Wellness For The Family: Caring for the Caretaker

We all want to take care of people in our lives—but sometimes there needs to be a little caring for the caretaker.

Registered Dietitian Grace Derocha, with , says for those caring for senior citizens, kids or anyone else in need of an extra hand, there are a few friendly reminders for self-care.

“You can’t take care of them if you’re not taking care of yourself,” she says.

Help is a friend

Even if it’s a little bit of time every week, or even every day, it’s important to take care of yourself—and ask for help if you need it.

“If you have siblings or anyone else that can help reach out to them as well,” Derocha says. “Get them on board. Don’t do everything yourself.”

Exercise

Instead of allowing personal care like exercise to fall to the wayside, Derocha suggests using a calendar to schedule plans to take care of others as well as yourself.

Relaxing

From journaling to reading, listening to music and sleeping—taking the chance to wind down is important, too.

For more information and health and wellness tips, visit .