If you’re a family caregiver, the following typical schedule may very well ring true:
You wake up well before the crack of dawn to accomplish a few hurried tasks of your own before your senior loved one rises. You then switch quickly into care mode: assisting with moving around, going to the bathroom, and personal care. You prepare a healthy breakfast, get morning medications together, maybe eat a quick bite yourself before storming forward into the many needs vying for your attention throughout the day. Perhaps you find a few quiet moments to yourself after getting your loved one settled into bed, before collapsing and doing it all again the next day.
Sound familiar?
We at Nightingale Homecare want you, the family caregiver, to know that you’re our hero! Your selfless devotion to caring for your loved one may feel as though it goes unnoticed, but we understand, and we salute you! We’d like to encourage you with the following resolution ideas to help reduce your stress in the coming year:
- Take time for self-appreciation – You may not hear “thank you” as often as it’s deserved, so remind yourself each day of the important difference you’re making in the life of your loved one.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for (and accept) help – Family and friends very likely want to lend a hand, but are unsure exactly what’s needed. It’s okay to tell others what you need, especially when they ask how they can help.
- Care for yourself as well as your loved one – Far from selfish, meeting your own needs allows you to best meet the needs of your loved one. Be sure to stay on top of your physical, emotional and spiritual health, getting yourself to regular check-ups and appointments.
- Practice continuous learning – Stay up to date on the latest research and suggestions related to the specific conditions of aging affecting your loved one. Over time, this will help you become better able to ask questions and notice nuances in their state of being.
- Stay balanced – Resolve to maintain a healthy balance between caring for your loved one and other family, work, and volunteer commitments. This is likely the hardest tip to follow, as it’s easy to feel like you’re never doing enough. Be kind to yourself. You are doing the best you can.
If even these simple resolutions seem too overwhelming to tackle, know that we’re standing beside you to help provide compassionate care for your senior loved one, allowing you much needed respite to care for and rejuvenate yourself!
Our supportive Arizona home care is uniquely individualized to each client’s needs, including as many or as few services, for as long or as little as you desire. We begin with a full assessment, provided at no charge by one of our registered nurses, to create a plan of care and to get to know your loved one’s likes and dislikes.
We then custom-match the perfect caregiver who shares similar personality traits and interests, resulting in a caregiver-senior bond that can give you the peace of mind needed to relax, take a breather, and renew your strength.
Serving all of Maricopa County, we’re the Phoenix area’s top provider of in-home senior care, with over 20 years of experience, founded, owned and operated by registered nurses. Resolve to partner with us in 2016 by calling 602-504-1555, and discover an enhanced quality of life for your senior loved one – and, for yourself!
