Compassion in Caregiving

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Compassion in Caregiving

Compassion in Caregiving is a community for caregivers of all ages. If you are the caregiver of an aging family member or friend this community is for you.

For more information please visit our website: http://www.compassionincaregiving.com Compassion in Caregiving is a supportive community. There will not be any tolerance for hate or bullying. All individuals who express any hate or bullying will be removed and blocked from the group. Self-promotion, spam and irrelevant links are not permitted. If you would like to share your business or other content please message us! Please be kind. This is a safe environment.

02/25/2026

Many caregivers live with a quiet fear of what comes next.
The next change. The next decline. The next moment that shifts everything again.

This kind of anticipation keeps the nervous system on high alert, even on calm days. Over time, that constant scanning can feel exhausting and isolating.

The goal is not to eliminate fear completely. It is to create small moments of steadiness within the uncertainty. Grounding in what is true right now, making simple plans, and allowing brief pauses for your body to reset can help reduce the weight you are carrying.

If this resonates, tell us what helps you feel a little safer when uncertainty feels overwhelming.

Follow @compassionincaregiving everything caregiver mental health.

02/23/2026

So much of our care system is built on the assumption that families will simply absorb whatever support is missing.

Unlimited time. Unlimited energy. Unlimited health. Unlimited money.

But caregiver capacity is not endless.
When systems plan care around assumptions instead of reality, strain builds quietly until something gives.

Supporting caregivers means designing care that recognizes limits and responds early, not only when crisis hits.

Caregivers deserve systems that work with them, not ones that rely on them to hold everything together.

Follow us everything caregiver mental health.

02/19/2026

I’m fed up hearing ‘there’s nothing we can do’. We have to include our allied teams and supports because comprehensive dementia care is not just about ‘fixing’ an illness. Check out some of these incredible accounts who can ABSOLUTELY help in your caregiver journey.

Art therapy:

Montessori approach to dementia care:

Music therapy:

Occupational therapy approaches:

Speech language pathology and comprehensive approaches to care:

Behavioural approaches to care:

Who would you add below?

02/18/2026

A few weeks ago I asked the Compassion in Caregiving community, 'If you could tell a new caregiver one thing you wish you knew at the beginning, what would it be?'

And you DELIVERED (I mean, are we surprised? You guys are amazing).

Swipe to see some of your answers. Original post linked here so you can see all the incredible comments.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DRhlZS5gFFU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

02/17/2026

If you’re a caregiver, you know this feeling well. Was that a text? Are they walking around? Do they need you?

Your brain has learned that emergencies can happen at any moment, it can stay on “alert mode” long after the house is quiet.

Here are some tips that can help:

1. Create a clear “overnight safety plan”

Hypervigilance often comes from uncertainty. A simple plan can reduce the mental scanning loop.

⭐️Decide what actually qualifies as an emergency versus something that can wait until morning.
⭐️Set clear guidelines with anyone else involved in care (for example: call twice in a row only if urgent).

When your brain knows there is a plan, it does not need to constantly rehearse worst case scenarios.

2. Use structured check-ins before bed

Instead of checking repeatedly all night, build a single intentional routine.

⭐️Do one final check on your care recipient. Remind yourself that they are ok.
⭐️Write down any concerns so your brain does not try to “hold” them overnight.

3. Reduce sensory scanning

Caregivers often stay tuned to every sound.

⭐️If safe, use white noise or a fan to soften background noises.
⭐️Dim lighting and avoid bright screens in the hour before sleep.
⭐️Keep your phone on a specific alert setting so only truly urgent calls break through.

Have you experienced this? What helps you when you are feeling hyper vigilance? Let us know below!

02/16/2026

These posts are grounded in real caregiver experiences and supported by research.
The reality is that things are only getting worse.

➡Published literature pointed to caregivers using emergency rooms as a form of respite over a decade ago, yet very little has changed. We continue to see the same patterns, the same crises, and the same lack of meaningful upstream support.

We are told to age in place and avoid institutions. But our systems do not provide the mental health care, home supports, or financial resources caregivers need to make this possible or safe. When support does not show up early, crisis becomes inevitable.

Caregivers using emergency rooms is a systems failure.
Caregivers deserve care before crisis.

Follow us for everything caregiver mental health.

02/12/2026

🩷There is so much judgment in our communities about the decisions surrounding the transfer of the person we care for to a care facility. The truth is that for most people this decision does not come easily and is filled with profound emotions including grief and guilt. Also a misconception: a caregiver is not ‘free’ from care after this transfer either. In fact, it is often the opposite: advocacy, worry, wanting to be there when they can’t be.

Caregivers are not happy and excited when this move occurs. They would rather this person did not require care to begin with.

To everyone who has been or is in this situation- we see you.

02/11/2026

❤Caregiving has a way of reordering your priorities, often without your consent.
Things that once felt urgent fade. Things that never mattered before suddenly do.

✨Give yourself permission to loosen expectations that no longer fit your life as it is now.

Let your values, not guilt or habit, guide where you invest your limited energy.

Allow relationships to change without forcing them to stay the same.

This clarity does not mean caregiving was fair or wanted.
It simply reflects how deeply it reshapes how you move through the world.

Share with someone you feel can benefit and follow us for more caregiver mental health!

02/10/2026

When caregiving becomes “normal,” the check-ins gradually stop.
Life moves on for others, while the pain continues for you.

You long for connection and understanding, yet you are faced with what feels like profound disconnection, isolation and pain. You occasionally raise concerns but you feel you are met with annoyance or that your feelings and situation is 'old news'. Where did everyone go?

This is yet another part of caregiving we don't talk about. But today we are screaming it loudly. We are still here and we matter.

Share with someone you feel could benefit and follow us for more caregiver mental health.

02/06/2026

⭐️ Join us on Monday live on IG as we discuss careers and caregiving. Olessia Lapina, career counselor with 12 years experience in HR & executive recruitment and Stephanie Muskat, caregiver therapist and social worker will be diving into this controversial, yet very real topic.

What do you do if you have taken a leave from the workforce and there is a gap on your resume? Should you explain caregiving to a potential employer? Will caregiving impact not only your job search but role in the workplace?

Have questions you want answered? Leave them below or DM directly!

See you soon!

02/05/2026

Whether you feel loss due to a declining diagnosis, or loss from someone’s passing, birthdays (especially the first birthday after loss) can be incredibly hard.

Everyone expects happiness and joy and celebrates with you, on the surface you try your hardest to exude happiness, but inside you feel empty, sad and lost.

Have you experienced this? Let us know below. It is so common, yet we don’t talk about it enough.

02/04/2026

Young caregivers are often invisible, but their responsibilities, worry, and emotional load are very real.

Children and youth across Ontario are supporting parents, siblings, and grandparents while still trying to be kids themselves.

The Young Caregivers Association exists to make sure they are seen, supported, and connected to others who understand. All programs and services are free.

Learn more at youngcaregivers.ca and follow them on Instagram

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Toronto, ON

Website

http://www.compassionincaregiving.com/

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