It’s really intimidating to start out as a new caregiver for someone that you love. There’s always a fear that you’ll do something wrong or make a bad decision, and that kind of pressure can really hang over you. What helps is to remember some of these tips, so that you don’t hold yourself to impossible standards.
You Don’t Have to Do Everything on Your Own
Personal Care at Home Altadena, CA: New to Caregiving
Not only do you not have to do everything yourself, but you shouldn’t. Wearing yourself out as a family caregiver doesn’t do anything for your senior and it definitely doesn’t help you, either. Getting help from personal care at home enables you and your elderly family member to figure all of this out together, while also leaning on the experience of people who have helped others to do the same thing.
You’re Learning, but You Still Have Valuable Information
There’s a lot to learn when you’re new to caregiving. You may feel as if you’re out of your depth constantly and that’s not entirely inaccurate. But you know a lot, too, especially about your senior and her preferences. So, if you’re second guessing yourself a lot or you’re discounting what you know for sure, that’s just going to hold you back.
Remember You’re Doing the Best That You Can
There are always going to be good days and bad days, in anything that you do. But those bad days can be especially daunting in caregiving. Try to remind yourself that you’re doing the best that you can with the tools and the information that you currently have available to you. And when you continue to learn more, that only helps everyone around you.
Take Time for Yourself and Meet Your Needs, Too
Respite care isn’t optional, honestly. It’s something that you need to start planning for early in your caregiving journey, because it’s essential. Personal care at home allows you to take that time for yourself with a clear conscience, knowing that someone is there for your senior. It’s vital that you’re taking time to meet your own needs, so that you can keep meeting your senior’s needs when necessary.
Caregiving doesn’t have to be something that you dread. It can be a joyful time in which you and your senior are able to reconnect with each other. A lot of that depends on you having the help that you need, when you need it the most.