Newsletter April 2026
Caring for someone living with an autoimmune condition is a deeply human act — one that often happens quietly in the background of daily life.
Whether you’re supporting a partner, family member, or friend, your role matters more than you may realise. And while every situation is unique, there are some simple, foundational principles that can help guide you — especially during times of uncertainty or flare-ups.
Sometimes, the most meaningful support start with the basics
I’m sure most of you know Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. His five definitions can basically be broken down into a triangle; our basic human need for food, fire, and shelter. As carers, when caring for our loved ones, we need to make sure that these basic needs are met. Survivalists will tell you that the first thing to take care of is shelter, after which you enable fire, then take care of food.
Shelter
Today most of us shelter in houses, condos, apartments; some of us may even live in trailers or caravans. We are surrounded by floors, walls, windows and covered by lofts and roofs. These features all require some maintenance, and it helps if we make an annual schedule to inspect these features before the seasonal changes we are now experiencing in our parts of the worlds. Assuming some physical ability and competency, we will do our best to conduct these inspections ourselves and come up with a “to do” list. Include the exterior terrain, pools, ponds and sheds/garages. Make sure drains and troughs for excess water runoff are clear. If we aren’t comfortable doing it, then we need to bring in a professional. Some examples would be eaves troughs, second and third story windows, and roof inspections. Check your insurance policy, most insurers now insist on an annual roof and eaves trough inspection done by a professional.
Fire
For fire, this typically means our cooking, heating and cooling infrastructure. Get these checked professionally twice a year, before the cold and hot seasons start. Cooking stoves, BBQs, boilers, water heaters, hot air furnaces, electric baseboards, gas fires and heaters, wood burning fireplaces, wood stoves. Exhausts and flues need to be checked for condition and leaks. You should include electrical, solar and plumbing panels and visible pipes and cables. I would suggest that these tasks be scheduled well ahead of the change in season, and accomplished by a professional. Check fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire blankets.
Food
If you’re lucky, both you and the person you’re caring for can prepare and cook meals, prepare provisioning lists, help with stocking a larder that has a minimum stock tally. Perhaps the actual daily checking and the physical shopping falls to you. If one or both of you are specific diets, then extra care should be taken with the food items you need, for example, seasonal vegetables and fruit. (Often frozen vegetables and fruit are useful in the shoulder seasons, likely less expensive, and tend to last longer.) We sometimes end up with leftovers, and this is where you and your loved one can have fun creating hearty and nutritional meals – even make new recipes.
It’s too easy to focus entirely on the person you’re supporting, but your wellbeing matters too. As carers, we so often carry a lot quietly.
Try to take moments to:
- rest and recharge;
- ask for support when needed;
- stay connected to your own life and identity;
- acknowledge what you’re doing – it’s significant!
You’re not just support someone else’s journey, you’re on one too. So, check your triangle, stay safe, and keep smiling as you stride into the future!
