That's why I was so eager to meet caregiver Laurie Catron, who seems to have a handle on this aging-parent thing. I do lose my temper occasionally, but less and less. The longer you do this, the better you get at picking your fights and letting go of some things. What seems to have worked for her is treating caregiving as a business. By doing so, Laurie says, you take some of the emotion out of the equation.
Good organization is a key.
She stops by her dad's daily on the way to the office. We take care of the business, and then move on to the fun parts. In her briefcase, she carries a folder of his vital statistics, including doctors' business cards, powers of attorney and correspondence she needs to address. A list of Dad's current medications comes from Laurie's computer, where she can update information as circumstances change. There's also a log of her dad's physical, mental and emotional highs and lows.