​Caring for another human being can be one of the most rewarding accomplishments of your life. It can also be very challenging and at times, overwhelming. It disrupts our lives, forces us to change our schedules and habits; just when we feel our lives are already busy enough. Yet, how you approach care planning can be just as important as what you do.

Actively caring for another person has the potential to change your life in ways you never imagined. Caring for someone else is one of life's greatest teachers because you will learn much about yourself and those around you.

Many caregivers put pressure on themselves to do everything "perfectly." This can often result in feelings of caregiver guilt.  Don't feel that you have to be perfect, just do your best. The aim here is to improve the quality of you and your loved ones’ lives. If you are starting to develop a care plan, here are five areas that you should focus on: Health, Emotional, Legal, Portfolio (financial and insurance), and Social Issues (HELPS). These HELPS tasks are the gleaned from research to get you started. 

​Watching a loved one struggling with difficult pain can be a traumatic experience for caregivers and can have a negative impact on their mental health. Many caregivers are unaware about palliative care and how it can help them and their loved one. However, palliative care may be a health care option that benefits your loved one, you, and your family.

Palliative care is a special type of care for patients with chronic or serious illnesses, such as dementia, cancer, and kidney disease. The goal of these services are not to cure illness. Instead, it focuses on improving quality of life by preventing and managing pain and suffering. Palliative care supports the whole person, not just the illness. For instance, it helps with:

• physical health,
• psychological health,
• emotional health, and
• spiritual well-being.

To address all of these needs, palliative care is often provided by a team that includes physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains.