If you're not careful, caregiving can take over every aspect of your life. Being conscientious about your own needs as well as your loved one's needs can help you to find a balance between your own life and your caregiving responsibilities.
Don’t Put Your Own Life on Hold
It's a common mistake for family caregivers to put their lives on hold to a certain extent. Hobbies can fall by the wayside or you might easily avoid anything else that might take time or attention away from your elderly loved one and her needs. The problem is that this can lead quickly to resentment and leave you feeling run down.
Don't Ignore Your Overwhelm
You're going to feel overwhelmed, too. No matter how in control you feel at the very beginning, something is likely to occur that inspires feelings of frustration, overwhelm, and even fear. Learning how to manage your negative feelings rather than ignoring them can help you to come up with solutions much more quickly.
Learn All that You Can Learn
The more information that you have the better prepared you can be. This is especially true when it comes to being your elderly loved one's caregiver. Ask your loved one's doctor questions. Do independent research. Find out all that you can about her current health issues and what those mean for her in the future. That one step will allow you to make decisions that give your loved one what she needs and that allow you to maintain your own life as well.
Get Help Right from the Start
Many family caregivers wait to hire elder care providers or ask other family members for help because they feel that they shouldn't need the help. The fact is that you're going to need help at all stages in your caregiving journey with your loved one. In the beginning, you're learning from people with experience. In the later stages, you're not just learning you're also giving yourself grace and space.
Staying alert to what is going on in your own life can help you to spot when you're letting caregiving take over your daily life.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring elder care in Campbell, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers today (408) 259-5930.
