Be specific

General offers of help can be hard for a caregiver to accept. If you want to support a friend who is caring for a loved one, make a concrete offer. For example:

• "I'm going to the grocery store. What can I pick up for you?"
• "I've got a couple of hours free tomorrow afternoon. May I sit in for you while you run errands or take time for yourself?"
• "I doubled my meatloaf recipe so that I could share it with you. I brought enough to last you for several meals."
• "Do you need some laundry done? I can pick it up today and bring it back clean tomorrow."
• "Does your yard need to be mowed? I'd be happy to take care of it this weekend."