Last updated April 19, 2024

 When to use: 

If talking with a caregiver and they sound like they aren't doing well (e.g., irritable, emotional, exhausted) or they share about how hard things are. 

Examples of what you may hear/observe on a call to clue you in:

• "I'm so overwhelmed..."
• "I have no help."
• Caregiver is emotional (i.e., crying, stressed, urgent sounding, angry, etc.)

See Caregiver: Resources quick reference article for a list of resources that may help the caregiver. 

 Conversation openers: 

Acknowledge their role and effort as a caregiver and pivot to asking about their well-being.

Example prompts: 

• It sounds like things have been really tough and I just wanted to check in with you--how are you doing? 
• It sounds like you are on the right track. Before I let you go, may I ask how you are doing?
• It sounds like you have a full schedule right now. Have you been able to work out any time for yourself? 
• Okay, now that we have a plan for getting ___ set up, I want to check and see if you would like to talk about a plan for a back-up or maybe some respite? Or regular scheduled breaks for you? 

 Possible follow-up: 

• I recognize this can be tough to talk about, but may I ask how you are doing? What are your thoughts about respite care? 
• Are you keeping up with your own doctor appointments? How are you sleeping? 
• How is it going with your family? Are they able to fill-in for you? 
• Do you have any questions about paperwork? Such as power of attorney, will, health-care agent and end-of-life wishes (aka advance directives). 
• It seems like you need a little more help than I can give you on this call. I have a co-worker who could work through some of this with you--would you like to talk with them? (See: Resource coordination referrals.) 

 Why caregiver support matters: 

• Research shows that caregivers who get some type of support stay healthier and rank their quality of life higher. 
• There's a lot of great resources out there to help you in your role as a caregiver. Lots of lessons learned that you may benefit from. 
• Caregiver support can help you and your family avoid crisis (financial, legal, emotional, etc.).