There are a number of boundaries to think about when you are a family caregiver. Some boundaries need to be set for yourself, some for your loved one, and others for your family.

Only you can know what the boundaries should be … and if you can carry through with the consequences that you set for crossing the boundaries.

Where to begin

Has helping your loved one created a pattern of unhealthy rescuing? Do your conversations about your loved one’s thoughts, feelings or behaviour spiral into bursts of anger of despair? There are good places to begin looking for boundaries that are healthy for you and respectful of others in your household.

Once you have established a firm boundary and it starts to free up your emotional energy and time, you will wish that you started sooner. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that setting boundaries is going to take some real thought and effort on your part. To help you get started, here are some helpful articles:

• Creating boundaries with your adult child
• Five lessons in setting boundaries that every caregiver must learn
• How to identify and create boundaries while caregiving