Getting started as a caregiver

Many caregivers wade into the responsibility over time. First it's just shopping for groceries or taking your father to his doctor's appointment.  Then one day you offer to swing by to pick up his prescriptions after work, and it becomes a regular to-do. Before long you're paying bills. While you may accumulate info on a need-to-know basis, it isn't always so easy.

Other caregivers are thrown into the role overnight due to accident, illness or another family member's sudden inability to provide care. It can be a steep learning curve.

Browse this section for topics we've hand-picked for new caregivers as well as experienced ones looking to fill in knowledge gaps. Things like:

How to talk to doctors—and understand what they're telling you—so you can be confident that you're doing the right things to help your loved one.

Simple habits you can practice to make caregiving more manageable, enjoyable and rewarding.

Stories of experienced caregivers that give you the benefit of others' hindsight to offer both wisdom and hope, wherever you are in your journey.

Online resources you should know as you learn your way around the world of caregiving.

And while you're here, be sure to check out the other tools on this site, like our caregiver assessment tool and Minnesota-based service and resource locator.

There's a lot to learn, but we're here to help. You've got this!