Gary Barg, Editor-in-Chief
757,555,200 seconds ago (give or take a few seconds), I picked up the phone in our first office (back room of my parent’s house) dialed (or pushed buttons, who can remember?) a phone connected to a wall (those under 25, look it up), called a number in Atlanta and purchased the web address caregiver.com. And what a rollicking time we have had at this address over the past 24 plus years. we have been blessed by each interaction with a family caregiver, conducted over 225 celebrity caregiver interviews, shared new caregiving solutions ideas and expert advice with millions of family caregivers, called this our online home, since that very first day, and look forward to doing so for many years to come.
Caregiver.com Top Ten List:
Communicating with Caregivers
- Always communicate with love. Caregivers do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.
- Humor is one of the most important and underrated tools in the caregiver tool kit. Don’t forget to apply liberally, whenever appropriate.
- If you have a product or service to market to family caregivers, do not sell, educate. Solve problems.
- Spend lots of time with caregivers. Conduct focus groups, exhibit at community events, get involved with appropriate local non-profit agencies.
- Be honest and direct. They can take it.
- Don’t talk over or down to a family caregiver
- Never let an acronym go unexplained.
- Listen more than talk. You will be surprised about how much you will learn from the family caregivers you are trying to educate.
- Every caregiver has solved at least one piece of the caregiving puzzle needed by their fellow caregivers which they are more than willing to share.
- Do not generalize or make assumptions about your audience. For example, 48% of caregivers are under age 46 and 39% of caregivers are male.
And, whenever in doubt. Re-read Tip number 1.
Please share your thoughts in the comments below.