The Care Partner’s Pledge
1. I am willing…to take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness.
It will give me the capability of taking better care of my loved one.
2. I am willing …to seek help from others even though my family and
friends may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
3. I am willing…to maintain facets of my own life that do not include the
person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that
I do everything that I reasonably can for this person, and I have the
right to do some things just for myself.
4. I am willing…to express my emotions, get angry, feel sadness, and
express other difficult feelings.
5. I am willing … to reject any attempts by my loved one (either
conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through guilt and/or depression.
6. I am willing…to receive consideration, affection, forgiveness, and
acceptance from my loved one for what I do, for as long as I offer
these qualities in return.
7. I am willing…to take pride in what I am accomplishing and to
applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my loved one.
8. I am willing…to protect my individuality and my right to make a
life for myself that will sustain me in the time when my loved one no
longer needs my full-time help.
9. I am willing…to expect and demand that as new strides are made in
finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired persons in
our country, similar strides will be made towards aiding and supporting
care partners.
10. I am willing…to honor that I am a whole and complete person who is
proud to be a care partner for my loved one affected by Alzheimer’s in
order to help remove the stigma attached to this disease.
Adapted from the book, Care Giving: Helping an Aging Loved One, by Jo Horne, published in 1985 by the American Association of Retired Persons.
It will give me the capability of taking better care of my loved one.
2. I am willing …to seek help from others even though my family and
friends may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
3. I am willing…to maintain facets of my own life that do not include the
person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that
I do everything that I reasonably can for this person, and I have the
right to do some things just for myself.
4. I am willing…to express my emotions, get angry, feel sadness, and
express other difficult feelings.
5. I am willing … to reject any attempts by my loved one (either
conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through guilt and/or depression.
6. I am willing…to receive consideration, affection, forgiveness, and
acceptance from my loved one for what I do, for as long as I offer
these qualities in return.
7. I am willing…to take pride in what I am accomplishing and to
applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my loved one.
8. I am willing…to protect my individuality and my right to make a
life for myself that will sustain me in the time when my loved one no
longer needs my full-time help.
9. I am willing…to expect and demand that as new strides are made in
finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired persons in
our country, similar strides will be made towards aiding and supporting
care partners.
10. I am willing…to honor that I am a whole and complete person who is
proud to be a care partner for my loved one affected by Alzheimer’s in
order to help remove the stigma attached to this disease.
Adapted from the book, Care Giving: Helping an Aging Loved One, by Jo Horne, published in 1985 by the American Association of Retired Persons.
