Hi everyone, I wanted to ask for your opinions or maybe just get some clarity on a situation that’s been kind of confusing in our household. My father had surgery a few months ago and has been recovering at home. He needs help with a lot of daily things—meals, medication, getting to appointments, sometimes just companionship.
My sister and I have been splitting things up, but in very different ways. I live nearby, so I visit several times a week and do things like cook, organize his pills, and talk to his doctors. She lives in another state but handles his finances, schedules home visits, and makes sure his bills are paid.
We had a recent conversation about caregiving responsibilities and she referred to herself as the “primary caregiver,” which kind of caught me off guard. I thought I was, since I’m there in person and managing more of the physical care.
Is there an actual definition of a primary caregiver, or is it just whatever we decide it means? Just curious how others define this when caregiving roles are shared but different.
