I heard about it from a friend...

It's wonderful that you want to take care of your grandfather. However, I'm worried, perhaps intrusively, that you might be overexerting yourself. While your experience as a caregiver certainly helps, a friend in a similar profession once told me that caring for a family member can be uniquely difficult compared to professional work. Please don't try to bear it all alone. Your grandfather would surely be sad if you were to collapse. I hope you can find time to enjoy yourself, even occasionally, for your own sake.

Your desire to be there for your grandfather is truly admirable. However, it would be meaningless if it caused you to fall ill or break down mentally. It doesn't have to be something fun. Even just a 10-minute walk, or a little bit of stretching, something that small, just to take a moment away from the thought of "I have to be strong." Making time like that will greatly ease your mind and help you switch gears more smoothly when something comes up. This is based on my own experience.

Both are important things for Yuen-sama. I believe that only when one's mind and body are fulfilled can they support someone else. I once had a resident say, "My daughter is gone. She's still in elementary school. I can't just eat without her." She must have been confused. I told her, "I'll go look for her. Please eat and greet her in good health. You'll worry your daughter, you know," but it's hard to suppress the urge to go yourself when you feel that way. I apologize for saying this to you, who are a lady by profession, but please show your grandfather a healthy appearance😊

As a professional caregiver, you take on the role of caring for family members in place of their relatives. This is because the family has "decided to pay money and rely on a professional." You have a professional's sense of responsibility and are trying to act as a substitute for your private family members as well. This is likely because you understand the situation deeply. However, no one has decided to "pay money and rely on a professional" when it comes to entrusting things to you. There are also no measures decided upon to reduce the burden and avoid caregiver burnout. In your private life, you are an ordinary person. You must not let your relatives say, "I'm not a professional, so I'll leave it to you." While you can cut back on leisure, what will happen if you get injured or sick? It is the duty of someone in a professional role, not a teaching role, to establish a system of care that involves non-professionals alongside you.

I also did my best in my own way so as not to have regrets when my grandmother passed away. But it wasn't by my own strength alone. I borrowed the help of many people. Isn't it okay to rely on someone sometimes? Your smiling face would surely make your grandfather happy too, wouldn't it? Take care of yourself as much as you do your grandfather😌✨