Dutiful Daughters™ Creed
By Marsha R. Foley, RN, MBA

I am a Dutiful Daughter™ (or son) and I am deeply involved in caring for a loved one who is aging. I am doing a pretty good job.

I am proud of the things I have learned about myself, like my strength and the wisdom I didn’t know I had.

I will not obsess on the down turns in my loved one’s life, but I will enjoy every good day, hour, or minute that we share.

I will not be influenced by the judgment of others about what I “should do” but will find people who have made this same journey who support me and understand.

I will not try to make my brother (sister, child or spouse) feel or do what I do. I will instead take responsibility only for myself.

I will take time for me and not put myself on hold while I wait for the crisis to be over. I will not use my loved one’s situation as an excuse for not living my life.

I will take this journey one step at a time and worry about tomorrow when I get there. I refuse to be overwhelmed by the “big picture”.

I will not be haunted by regrets, but I will put one foot in front of the other and move forward because I know I do the best I can with the information available to me...and sometimes I make mistakes. I am, after all, human.

National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers