Guilt is a difficult and complex emotion. It is normal to feel guilty after your family member/friend moves into a care facility. You are not alone. Most caregivers feel some guilt after their family member/friend moves. Guilt may be related to feeling responsible for their illness. You may blame yourself for their move to care, and feel as if you "didn't do enough". You may feel guilty that your family member/friend is not going to get the same care that you provided. You may also feel guilty because you feel some relief that you are no longer responsible for your family member/friend's care around the clock.

Below is a written activity that may help you deal with your guilt.

Guide:

• Write a list of what you feel guilty about (no need for explanations - this is your confidential list)
• Beside the list, write some ideas that you can do to address the underlying reason for the guilt
• What is one small thing that you can forgive yourself for, today?
• Imagine if this list belonged to a friend, what would you tell them?

For more information and other activities - please see the Resources section.