Caring for a loved one can make you a better clinician

I looked after my mum at home, from the point of her clinical diagnosis by her GP to her death (alone in hospital) last year. Kaviraj conveys well how the role of carer is equal in intensity to a full time job.1For me it was like being a junior doctor round-the-clock. My mum lived with dementia, and towards the end I had to be ready for any medical emergency as she was very frail. Every day as a carer presents a “new normal”—a phrase I dislike immensely, but which summarises the moving goalposts well. I do not regret for a second the time I spent caring for my mum—the feelings of intense love and solidarity, and the opportunity to protect a vulnerable loved one. The experience gave me insights into life with impending mortality, but also showed there are opportunities for hope and growth in the face of adversity. Nobody…
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