Stacy M. is from Texas, and was one of forty finalists chosen out of the over 1,000 entries to our “What Advice Would You Give to a Fellow Caregiver?” Contest. You can find our grand prize and runner up winners here.
What advice would you give a fellow caregiver?
Wow. As a nurse, I had to think about this one for a while. The first thing I thought of was all the medical advice: how to give medications, incontinence teaching etc.
Then I had to slow down and think about what I myself do everyday and it’s just to stop and listen to our patients, friends, neighbors and strangers, and if you listen long enough you will truly begin to understand the problem and be able to find a solution that really fits for that other person.
When you listen you also realize that you never stop learning, even if it’s someone else: their reason for being lonely, or why they can’t change an ostomy pouch. We tend to believe that everyone is capable of doing what we teach them and if you listen you will find out the barrier that prevents them from doing it.
So the best advice I can give to anyone: co-workers, family friends, managers, is to stop and LISTEN, and truly LISTEN and along with that you will never stop learning when you listen.
Click here to return to the contest home page and read more advice.
Finalists were selected by the Marketing Team at Shield HealthCare. Those finalists were submitted to a panel of independent judges who picked three grand prize winners and five runners up. The judges included: Sandra Mitchell, Award-winning KCAL 9 news anchor and breast cancer survivor, and the Landers family: actor and comedian David Landers (“Laverne & Shirley”) who is living with MS, his wife Kathy and his daughter Natalie (“The Middle”). Click here to learn more.
