Family Caregiver Support
The American Psychology Association reports that unpaid caregivers are more likely to rely on addictive substances like alcohol to manage stress. Suicidal thoughts are three times more likely to occur in these caregivers.
That same study reported that 90% of the surveyed unpaid caregivers were family caregivers. Of these unpaid caregivers, over 66% report dealing with mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
Caring for your aging dad is a loving act, but it’s important to consider the toll it has on your life. You can’t focus so much on your dad that you stop taking care of your own emotional, mental, and physical needs. It’s time to admit you need support.
Talk to Your Brothers and Sisters
Home Care Services Alhambra, CA: Family Caregiver Support
If you have siblings, talk to them. Discuss your concerns and see if they can devote more time to helping out. If they can’t reach out to close family, family friends, and neighbors to see if anyone can offer assistance.
You might find that your dad’s neighbor goes to the grocery store each week and is happy to pick up your dad’s online grocery order. That can check one item off your to-do list and give you extra time to focus on yourself.
Don’t Take On More Than You Can Handle
Make sure you’re not taking on too much. You help your dad every day, but you also have children at home. As soon as you get home, you’re rushing to get dinner on the table and help them with homework.
Your brother asks if you can also take his dog for the week while he takes a vacation. It’s okay to say no and tell him you’re already stretched too thin. You’d love to help him out, but you just don’t have enough time to take on additional tasks. If he gets upset, that’s on him.
Learn to Prioritize
Learn to prioritize important tasks from those that aren’t as vital. For example, your dad has to take his heart medications each morning. That’s a task you can’t put off. You could, however, push aside the dusting for another day.
Your dad’s medical appointments are essential to his health. You can’t skip those. You have other tasks coming up that require you to leave his house with him. Try to combine other tasks, such as picking up prescription refills and grocery orders, so that you’re making one trip rather than several.
Take Time Off
A family caregiver needs to take time off. If you’re taking care of your dad 24/7, you’re not taking care of yourself. You need a way to have a couple of days off each week. How do you make this happen?
The service you want to ask about is respite care. A home care assistance specialist can help you understand how respite care works and how to arrange it. Go online and reach out to a home care assistance expert today.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Care Services in Alhambra, CA please contact the caring staff at Nu Care Inc. today at. 800-505-6890
Sources:
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/11/numbers-stress-caregivers