Caring for an aging relative can often become a stressful issue. The fact that you are caring for a relative means that you have less time to yourself and are responsible for their well-being. They depend on you, but you are struggling to provide them with the help they need, and on top of that, you are struggling to cope with your own emotions and feelings.
Caring for Aging Relatives: Making It Work
Single-handedly caring for an aging family member can be incredibly challenging, especially when juggling work, family, and personal commitments. The strain of managing these various responsibilities may divert your focus from providing optimal care to your elderly relative, potentially leading to caregiver burnout. For instance, balancing professional life while attempting to offer care to your aging loved ones can often result in caregiver stress. In such situations, relying on professionals can appear as a prudent choice – they may even be able to offer you some form of respite care so that you are able to take a break for yourself. Wondering who is being referred to here in this article?
We are talking about seeking assistance and opting for a helping hand from skilled, knowledgeable, and extremely professional in-home care providers who can be fortunately found at careforfamily.com.au and similar portals. These professionals can provide essential support to your loved one wherever they’re living while allowing you to maintain your other commitments. They can help with daily activities, and medication management, and even offer companionship, reducing the burden on your shoulders.
If in-home care isn’t a feasible option, relocating to a senior living facility like Regency Place independent living can be a viable solution. Senior living facilities offer various levels of care, from independent living to nursing care, ensuring that your aging relative’s needs are met while granting you the peace of mind to focus on your other responsibilities.
With that in mind, here are a few more tips on how to take care of an aging relative:
- Make a contingency plan. Being a caregiver for a loved one is no easy task. Balancing the demands of your job, social life, and family can make caring for a relative feel like a full-time job in and of itself. However, helping a family member in need does not have to be a solo effort. There are always resources to help. So even when you cannot be there in person to care for your relatives or send a caregiver to their home, a virtual care solution for older people can be made available. Otherwise, you can also learn about local support groups or ask your loved one’s doctor which resources they recommend
- Get things organized. When relatives need care, it can become overwhelming. Not only do you have your own responsibilities, such as work and personal life, but now you have a relationship-maybe even a life-that needs your attention. It can be hard to be able to provide care while also maintaining the other aspects of your life. So, what can you do to ensure that you are taking care of yourself, in addition to your responsibilities? Use a notebook, or an online equivalent, as a catch-all for your thoughts, notes, and tasks. That way, you will have one place to record information, such as errands, reminders, ideas, and notes, and you will not have to worry about losing any of it.
- Set ground rules, or boundaries, for your loved one’s emergencies. “If someone I love has an emergency, will I still take my job?” is a question many people ask, especially when they have multiple responsibilities. Fortunately, the answer to the question is yes. Create a contingency plan. Set ground rules, or boundaries, for your loved one’s emergencies. Decide who is available and who is not. Outline your responsibilities.
- Take care of yourself. Stress, lack of sleep, and concern for a loved one can all lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed. Learn how to manage this stress without letting it take over. No one ever said that being a caregiver was easy. Still, it can be incredibly challenging when you have relatives who are not able to take care of themselves, like an elderly parent. Sometimes, it is necessary to stop and take care of yourself because you cannot take care of anyone else if your own needs are not being met.
- Honesty and assertiveness come a long way. Owning a home is not without a fair share of responsibility. You have to keep the roof over your head, take care of the yard, pay the mortgage, and so much more. But, just as important are your responsibilities as a house or property owner to someone else. One way to ensure that your loved one is taken care of in the event that something happens to you is by setting up an estate plan. The protection of a will or trust is critical and can help you take care of the people you love.
- We still need some support. Being close to a relative who is struggling with addiction for example, is tough. But you do not have to deal with their addiction alone. Support is easy to obtain. Call a friend or family member today to ask for their help. It could be just being there to listen or help out with a task or errand, like having their loved one pick up groceries, take them to a doctor’s appointment or meeting, or drop them off at a rehab center. Or, if calling is not an option, consider reaching out to your local support organization.
Caring for aging relatives can be a huge undertaking, and it does add stress to your life. But it does not have to be a balancing act, either. There are ways to balance caring for relatives while also working and taking care of your personal needs. You just need to know how to manage your time wisely.
