There’s a lot that changes for both you and your senior when you need to become her caregiver. Whether that happens gradually or suddenly because of illness or injury, there’s a lot that you are having to deal with in a different way than you used to. Understanding what you can do to make the adjustments easier helps you to feel less out of control.
You Need Solid Boundaries
One mistake caregivers often make is that they allow their boundaries to either soften or completely dissolve. This results in situations where you’re more likely to push yourself too hard, too often. You might find you’re overwhelmed constantly and that you’re worn out way too often. This can send you too close to burning out and not being able to continue being a caregiver at all.
Sort out Your Feelings
Being a caregiver involves being in situations that you might not have been ready for just yet. That involves some emotions that are often difficult to manage. If you try to fight those feelings and shove them aside, they’re just going to gain strength. What you need to do instead is to face your feelings and let them go again.
Find a Way to Manage Worry
One of the feelings you’re going to have to manage effectively is worry. Especially if your elderly family member is facing some scary or uncertain health issues, you’re going to be experiencing quite a bit of worry. That can incapacitate you if you let it. Finding ways to cope with what’s causing you to worry doesn’t mean that you’re totally in control and nothing ever goes wrong, but it does mean that you don’t let those worries keep you from functioning.
Get Help Managing Everything
Probably the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself as you’re starting to be a caregiver is to get help lined up now. Working with elder care providers gives you someone with experience who can help you and your senior with a variety of different tasks. As your senior’s needs grow, what elder care providers help you to manage can also expand. There’s less of a learning curve when you’ve got people with experience in your corner.
You may never feel like an expert at caregiving, and that’s okay. You will definitely feel better about the experience that you’re gaining and you’ll also know that you’re doing the best that you can.
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring elder care in Campbell, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers today (408) 317-4969.