How Taking Care of the Elderly Can Be More Fulfilling
There’s no denying that taking care of the elderly at home can be quite fulfilling, yet demanding. There’s no better gift you can offer your parents than to be there for them in their old age. Due to their frailty, they require round-the-clock care.
Unfortunately, it can be tasking if the responsibility of providing physical care falls on one individual. For some adults, this increased dependency by their parents happens when they still have small children who need care.
This is called the “sandwich generation” where you have two generations of people who depend on you for care. For other people, it can happen around the time they go for retirement, and children have left the nest. Whatever the case, there’s a need to ensure that you extend quality care to your elderly loved ones.
Suggestions for Improving the Quality of Care
These suggestions are relevant whether you’re in the empty nest or sandwich generation stage. They’ll help ensure the senior is well catered for and you don’t get fatigued in the process.
Establish How Much Care Your Loved One Needs
In caregiving, it’s highly possible to outdo yourself every single day, thinking that you must do all that you do. You can get so overwhelmed with unnecessary tasks that you fail to see the overall picture.
Instead, create a list of all you think needs to be done during the day and at night. With time, you’ll notice a pattern and can pick what needs to be done daily, weekly or monthly. You’ll also realize how much supervision is required and at what time.
To ensure you don’t forget anything, extend the note-taking exercise to two or three months. This will help you capture anything that requires your attention every two or three months. With such a list, you can plan your day without overwhelming yourself.
Be Honest with Yourself about How Much Help You Can Give
From your list of activities, you need to figure out how much you can handle without help. Looking over a plan helps you be more realistic about the tasks you can handle without harming your health. Be thoughtful and honest with yourself on this one.
Keep in mind that if you take on too much, you could suffer from burnout and other severe health conditions. Ultimately, you won’t be able to care for yourself or anyone else. You may also start to feel resentful towards your dependents, thinking they’re living their best life at your expense.
Get Help with Caregiving
It sometimes appears like finding help with caregiving takes too much time and effort. Fortunately, there are services like respite care and Elder Companion Care that you can make use of to make your work easier.
With such arrangements, you’ll have professional care for your loved one from the comfort of your home. The service providers also extend some care to you as a caregiver. Consequently, you get more time to rest while another caregiver looks after your elderly loved one.
Final Thoughts
Taking care of your parents and children at the same time is a fulfilling affair. On the downside, it can take a toll on you if you have to do it alone to keep up with their demands. Remember to break down the tasks that need to be done and not take it all in one stride. It also helps to get additional help in caregiving if you care about your wellbeing.
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