Pace yourself. Unless your loved one has a terminal illness, you may be caring for them up for to 20 years.

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Take care of yourself first. Keep your exercise regimen and diet as before. Take your medications first. Do all of this before you start caring for another.

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As a caregiver, take a daily multivitamin as your nutritional needs are going to be greater to withstand stress, fatigue and more physical requirements. Give your loved ones a daily multivitamin too.

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When you are giving medicines in liquid form, get a syringe to do so. Or if you have to crush a tablet or multivitamin put it into applesauce or porridge but in small portions that you know they will eat so you know they have taken the whole “dose.”

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Allow your loved ones to do as much for themselves as they can for as long as they can. If your loved ones can feed themselves then let them do that, even if bedbound or blind. Any muscles you can engage in some activity daily helps them hold on to their muscles.

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Engage your loved ones’ senses. Talk, listen, sing and let them socialize. In addition to a daily multivitamin, engaging your loved one can reduce their risk of dementia. Get them hearing aids if hearing impaired and optimize their vision with glasses or glaucoma drops if visually impaired or at risk for blindness.

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If you have a bedbound loved one, turn or elevate offside alternating every 2 hours at 30 degree angle. You can use wedges to place offsides. Any position held for more than 2 - 3 hours can lead to pressure ulcers. (Think about it this way- it is the reason why we all turn automatically while sleeping).

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Use washable bedpads on the bed if you live in a hot place and do not have air conditioning to prevent a rash from developing on the back (as a result of sweating and not being able to dry with the contact of the plastic bedpad (chucks)- even if they were placed under clothes.

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Check for resources and support groups in your local community and on the AARP website.

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Get a pillbox for yourself and your loved one. This helps avoid missing doses or duplication.

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Take time to breathe. Just breathe. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth. Repeat 3-10 times. Then, continue your day.