Caregiving can be both rewarding and challenging. When caregiving takes over your life, it can leave you feeling isolated and lonely – even though you are the one providing care to others! In the face of stress and fatigue from all the demands of caring for someone else it is vital that you find ways to take care of yourself so you can continue to give and give to your loved one(s) in need. To find support with help managing or ameliorating your caregiver experience visit your local senior care community today to learn more about their Wellness programs and how they can help to enrich and maintain your overall health and well-being.
When creating a caregiving plan, seek help from other members of the household and distribute duties equally and fairly. With many community activities still suspended, try to make alternate arrangements to support seniors. Older family members can do some of the housework that caregivers normally do while children can assist where they can – with shopping or preparing meals for example; be creative in finding ways to divide responsibilities!
Caregivers should check back with the community agencies about remote communication plans to support the caregiver. For example, if the senior has previously attended day care, check with the agency on how they can continue engaging the senior through the telephone or a video call. Keep in mind the individual has a preference on how he or she would like to receive updates from the care team such as text or email or even a phone call to speak to them directly about their plan of care and how they are doing in the home environment.
Caregivers may need to balance caregiving duties with work and other duties. It is important to communicate that although the caregiver is at home, other responsibilities have not changed and other people should be consulted before planning any changes or schedules to accommodate one person’s needs without taking into account the needs of others in the household. If another person becomes ill when the caregivers are sick themselves or someone in the house needs to be away from the house to care for a child or other dependents then they may not be able to dedicate the time required to be a caregiver to their parent/relative.
There are many online forums available that may be able to offer support to others in similar situations; some people find that giving each other companionship and support in this way can be a good way to cope with the stress of caring for someone unable to care for themselves. Free patient advocacy services are available in many states for people who are providing care but are not the primary health care provider in their home to provide assistance so that their loved one can get the proper care and avoid legal problems if they are unable to get the health care they need (for services such as making sure that the bills for health care services are paid) and some states also provide funding to the primary care givers so that they can have the funds to hire professional home health aides or other senior living options to assist with the care of the patient.
Leave A Comment