For too many caregivers, the role isn’t just about love and support. It’s an exhausting, 24/7 battle against systemic bias and burnout. You are the quarterback of this team, but you can’t be the entire line staff.
Why It Matters
In this video, Dr. Cheryl E. Woodson explains why caregivers must embrace their role as the CEO of the caregiving system. She stresses that self-care is not selfish and that using leadership skills to delegate tasks—like getting groceries delivered or hiring help for laundry—is essential to prevent exhaustion and maintain personal health. She argues that caregivers are not abandoning their loved ones; they are simply managing their resources to stay in the game.
Dr. Woodson also highlights the immense fight caregivers face against ageism, racism, and professional elitism within the healthcare community. Caregivers must advocate fiercely to ensure professionals respect their loved ones as people—not just as a “physiologic box.” She challenges the medical community to abandon the false expectation of a “cure,” refocusing instead on using science to give people the best quality of life they want by respecting their humanity.
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