6 Tips for Surviving when Caring for an Elderly Parent

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The challenges of caregiving can be stressful and negatively affect your wellbeing. However, with a good plan in place, you can survive as a family caregiver and continue to provide high-quality assistance to your senior parent. Below are some tips that can help you maintain excellent mental, physical, and emotional health while caring for your loved one. 

1. Ask for Help

The best way to survive being a caregiver is to ask other people, including family members and friends, for assistance. Never take on all the responsibilities yourself because it can lead to burnout. When you take on too much, your risk of issues like cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders can increase. Always ask for help, even when you feel great. 

Seniors can face a variety of age-related challenges. Though some families choose to take on the caregiving duties, there may come a time when they need a trusted senior care provider. Families sometimes need respite from their duties so they can focus on their other responsibilities, and some seniors need around-the-clock assistance that their families are not able to provide. Home Care Assistance is here to help.

2. Modify the Home

Most seniors can continue living independently when their homes are modified according to their limitations and strengths. Making significant and affordable changes to your loved one’s home could free up more of your time. For instance, converting a lower-level sitting room to a bedroom prevents your loved one from walking up and down the stairs, which can reduce the risk of falls and other accidents, giving you peace of mind knowing your loved one can safely navigate the house.

3. Maintain Good Habits

When life is difficult, you should have positive coping strategies in place. Be careful not to overeat or develop a shopping addiction. These types of behaviors can provide temporary satisfaction, but they have negative consequences. Try to find positive habits, such as working on goals, cooking healthy foods, exercising, reading, writing, joining a local sports league, or gardening. 

4. Get Plenty of Rest

Providing care for your parent could interfere with your sleeping habits, especially if you have difficulty balancing your personal and professional commitments. Lack of sleep can damage your cognitive skills, physical wellbeing, and heart health. Consider using in-home respite care services so you can catch up on rest. Once you’ve established a good routine or received assistance from your siblings, you can evaluate the situation and continue using respite care as needed. 

Family caregivers need to care for their own wellbeing. If you’re caring for an aging loved one and are feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional caregiver to provide respite care. Fair Oaks families who want to prevent burnout can turn to Home Care Assistance. One of our professional caregivers can assist your loved one at home while you take a nap, go to work, run errands, or go on vacation.

5. Stay Socially Active

Being a family caregiver shouldn’t stop you from getting out of the house and into society. You should continue to meet up with friends for lunch, go to community events, or take vacations with family and friends. Staying socially active can alleviate caregiver stress and lower the risk of depression. 

6. Join a Support Group

The worst thing family caregivers can do is keep their emotions bottled up inside. It’s okay to vent about the hardships of caregiving and celebrate the positive aspects. When things become overwhelming, you should have a support team in your corner. 

In some instances, joining a caregiver support group is the best option because it connects you to other people who understand what you encounter daily. They understand the complexity of caring for an aging loved one, and they can give you a safe space to vent. You can also receive tips from other caregivers that help you stay in excellent mental, physical, and emotional shape. 

One of the most challenging tasks of helping an elderly relative age in place safely and comfortably is researching agencies that provide elder care. Fair Oaks families can turn to Home Care Assistance for reliable, high-quality in-home care for aging adults. We offer 24-hour live-in care for seniors who require extensive assistance, and we also offer respite care for family caregivers who need a break from their caregiving duties. To learn about our revolutionary in-home care plans, call us at (916) 485-4663 today.

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