What You Should Know about Surviving Caregiving

By Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP | August 19, 2016 | Comments Off on What You Should Know about Surviving Caregiving
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When you first start out as a family caregiver you’re probably too overwhelmed to think much about what you’re now involved in. As you gain some experience, though, it’s important to realize that there are things that you can do to make your life and your job as a caregiver easier.

Plan Ahead as Much as You Can

Having a plan for every day and every situation can bring you a great deal of peace as a family caregiver. This is because you’re anticipating your elderly loved one’s needs and potential problems and you’re already developing a solution for them. Work with your loved one’s doctor closely to help you plan for health situations.

But Make Backup Plans

No matter how much you plan or how complete those plans are, something can come along in a heartbeat and derail those perfect plans entirely. Whenever possible, develop a Plan B to go along with your Plan A. The hope, of course, is that you won’t ever need it, but if you do, it’s there. Your life as a family caregiver is necessarily busy, but having solid plans can help you to feel more in control.

Be Good to Yourself

This is probably the most important aspect for a family caregiver and yet it’s the one that’s most often ignored. If you aren’t taking care of yourself, you can’t expect to be able to take good care of your elderly loved one. Be gentle with yourself, eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep. When you need rest, take it. When you need time away, make sure that you get it. No one can care for you as fully as you can and if you’re being too hard on yourself you’re not the only one who will ultimately suffer.

Accept and Ask for Help

When people do offer to help you, and they will, be gracious and accept that help. If you need specific help from someone who is offering, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Remember that there are other options, too. Other family members can help, as can elderly care providers whom you hire to help out. But you have to be the one willing to accept that help and ask for it when it’s necessary.

As you gain experience as a family caregiver, you’ll add other survival tools to your arsenal.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional elderly care in Bernardsville, NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.

Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP
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