BALTIMORE -- As Christmas approaches, people who care for loved ones, as well as paid helpers, are preparing themselves and their patients to make it through the holidays. Caregivers face added stress of holiday preparations on top of the responsibilities associated with caregiving, said Karen Winkowski, administrator for the Harford County, Maryland, Office on Aging.
“When you’re a caregiver, it doesn’t matter what holiday it is,” said Baltimore County resident Bridget Basehoar, who was a family caregiver. “It’s the toughest, most satisfying thing I have ever done. You are so focused that your loved one is comfortable, that the holiday spirit is gone.”
Caregivers sometimes aren’t invited to, or are not able to, attend holiday social events, Winkowski said. Caregivers also experience the care recipient’s own sense of grief and loss at the holidays, she said.
