It’s hard to take time away to take
care of yourself when the demands seem
so constant, but it is important to re-
member that if you don’t nurture your-
self, you’re going to end up not being the
kind of caregiver that you want to be.
Self Care
for the
Caregiver
Barbara Kaczmarek knows the 24/7
pressure of the caregiver role well. In
2017, after many years of driving back
and forth from Buffalo to the Adiron-
dacks to care for both of her parents,
and then eventually just her mom, she
brought her mom home to live with her
after her dad passed away.
— by Lisa Littlewood
E
stimates show that approxi-
mately 65 million people, or
29% of the U.S. population
provide care for a chronically ill, dis-
abled or aged family member during any
given year. While the dynamics in each
family situation vary greatly, the stress
that it can cause the primary caregiver is
a reality that should not be ignored.
According to the National Alliance
for Caregiving many caregivers tend to
neglect their own health in the process of
caring for their loved one. “Our research
shows that nearly half of the reporting
caregivers say that their health has got-
ten worse in the process of care giving,”
the website says.
The decision to have her mom move
in with her and her husband was very
clear, though she knows it’s not an easy
decision to make. All three of her sib-
lings lived in other states, her job as an
Arbonne sales rep offered flexible hours,
and she and her husband had preemp-
tively talked about buying a larger house
if the day came that her mom would
need to live with them.
In a move that she acknowledges is
unique, she and her husband ended up
buying a new home with her daughter,
her daughter’s husband, and their three
A twAl E yE C ArE
Your Vision, Our Focus
Atwal Eye Care is a complete
eye care provider offering a full
range of services, including rou-
tine eye exams and medical/
surgical eye care. We specialize
in Laser Vision Correction, Laser
Assisted Cataract Surgery (with
Multi-Focal Lens implants), Kamra
Inlay to reduce or eliminate read-
ing glasses, Glaucoma Treatment
& Surgery, Cosmetic Eye Lid
Procedures & Laser Surgery, and
Botox Treatments. Atwal Eye Care
also treats other common eye
conditions ranging from Diabetic
40 WNY Family March 2019
Eye Disease and Macular
Degeneration to Dry Eye.
Dr. Amar Atwal and
Dr. Ephraim Atwal spe-
cialize in Laser Vision
Correction (LASIK), a pro-
cedure for patients with
Myopia (nearsightedness),
Hyperopia (farsighted-
ness) or Astigmatism to
reduce or eliminate their depen-
dence on glasses or contacts. The
Doctors, and the friendly, courte-
ous and caring staff, believe that
YOU, the patient, are the most
important part of our practice and
that you are the focus of our atten-
tion while you are here for your
examination.
Our main office is at 3095
Harlem Road in Cheektowaga,
and we also have other locations
throughout the Western New York
area. For more information, call us
at (716) 896-8831.
Cheektowaga Location (Main Office)
3095 Harlem Rd.
896-8831
East Amherst Location
4800 North French Rd.
688-0996
Tonawanda/Kenmore Locations
2441 Sheridan Dr.
836-8700
2211 Sheridan Dr.
634-6100
Southtowns Location
3176 Abbott Road, Orchard Park
649-8300
Snyder Location
4590 Main Street, Snyder
839-3535
www.atwaleye.com
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