Five Effective Ways to Relieve Holiday Stress for Caregivers

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A woman who knows how to relieve holiday stress for caregivers smiles and helps her elderly mother prepare holiday treats.

Learn how to relieve holiday stress for caregivers and enjoy all the fun and festivities of the season.

What do you wish for most this holiday season? Financial security? Good health for your loved ones? Peace on earth? What if you could relieve holiday stress for caregivers and simply enjoy the warmth and beauty of the season? What a gift that would be!

Caregiving can be overwhelming any time of the year, but the holiday season can send your stress level off the charts. There are ways, however, to alleviate holiday stress and truly enjoy this special time of year. Our care experts recommend the following small steps that can make a big difference.

Alter traditions. If you have always been the one to host large family holiday gatherings, consider passing the torch to another person. If the thought of lugging out each and every holiday decoration is overwhelming, choose several of your favorite items and leave the remainder in the attic this year. Find strategies to simplify and establish new traditions that place less pressure on you.

Downsize gifting. Searching for the perfect gift for everyone on your extended friends and family list can consume quite a lot of your holiday time (and money!). There are numerous fun ways to simplify the process. For instance, have each family member choose a name and purchase a gift for that person only. Then plan a potluck dinner with each person bringing a favorite dish and exchanging gifts.

Be honest and open. Forget about putting on a mask to cover up what’s really going on in your life. Let family and close friends in on the struggles your loved one is facing and how it is impacting you. Sharing from the heart with those you trust to listen and understand is an incredible relief in and of itself.

Intentionally focus on the positives. Gratitude is a great tool for changing your outlook and mood. Create a simple gratitude journal in which you record what you are most thankful for, and invest some time each day reading through and reflecting on your list, adding to it as new thankful thoughts arise.

Enlist help. Caregiving should never be a solo endeavor. Taking regular breaks for self-care benefits both the person in your care and yourself. Let family and friends know exactly what they can do to help, and then do not think twice about accepting that support. Our caregivers are always available to help as well!

How Can Home Care Help Relieve Holiday Stress for Caregivers?

Our caregivers are alleviating stress for families like yours each and every day—during the holiday season and throughout the year! Our services are highly customized to allow older adults and their loved ones to select the tasks they would like help with, while maintaining what they prefer to do themselves.

Contact Responsive Home Care at 954-486-6440 for a free consultation to find out how we can partner with you in caring for someone you love in Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Deerfield Beach, and the surrounding areas. Then take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy every precious moment with those you love!

Are You Prepared for the Responsibilities of Hospital Care at Home?

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A woman in a wheelchair receiving hospital care at home is assisted by her adult daughter.

It’s important to understand and prepare for your role before agreeing to hospital care at home for a loved one.

No one wants to spend any more time than needed in the hospital. The aim is to get the necessary treatment or procedure over with as quickly as possible and move on to recovering. Unsurprisingly, the growing trend in hospital care at home is one being met with open arms. Imagine being able to avoid:

  • Isolation and loneliness from short visiting hour periods
  • The risk of infection inherent in a hospitalization
  • The need to share a room with somebody else who is ill
  • Institutional food
  • The bright lights, alarms, and bells that make sleeping difficult

Hospital level care in the home allows someone whose condition is serious yet stable to receive visits from clinicians and any necessary medical equipment—so treatment is provided in the most comfortable and least restrictive environment.

There is nothing not to love about such a program, right?

The Downside to Receiving Hospital Care at Home

While the benefits of in-home hospital care are incredible, there’s one main factor to take into consideration: are you ready and equipped to serve as the caregiver for a family member who is critically ill? While physicians and nurses visit the home and are available by telehealth sessions for questions, the majority of care falls on the family.

“In the hospital, if something happens, they know how to take care of it,” explains Clare Semling, whose husband participated in a hospital-at-home program. “Now it’s on you.”

It’s important for family members to participate in the decision-making process about a loved one receiving hospital care in the home, and also to be made aware of the implications it will mean in their own lives. For instance, you’ll need to think through:

  • What will you do in the event of an emergency?
  • Can you handle getting up as required during the night to check on the person, help them to the bathroom, etc.?
  • Are you ok with having clinical staff coming in and out of the home at regular intervals?
  • Will you be able to manage medications and ensure they’re taken as directed?

Also, think about your current commitments and responsibilities: caring for children, taking care of household chores and errands, working outside of the home, and other important activities such as spending time with your spouse, nurturing relationships with friends and other friends, participating in hobbies and pastimes you enjoy, engaging in healthy lifestyle choices, etc.

It can be helpful to create a quick estimate of how much time you currently have available to care for a family member at home, considering all of the factors above. If it feels unmanageable or overwhelming, seek out help.

Responsive Home Care is here to help if a loved one chooses to receive hospital-at-home care. We can provide medication reminders, run errands, prepare meals, and take the night shift if you would like, enabling you to maintain the healthy life balance you need. Contact us at 954-486-6440 for more information on how we can help with personalized in-home care services in Fort Lauderdale, Lighthouse Point, Hollywood, and the surrounding communities.

Why Providing Care for Your Spouse Can Cause Resentment – And How to Overcome It

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A woman who knows that providing care for your spouse can cause resentment hugs her husband as they both look out the window.

Providing care for your spouse can open up a new realm of emotions you may not have expected.

You both promised to look after each other through better or worse, in sickness and in health. When these cherished sentiments are first spoken on your wedding day, it is difficult to imagine how it will feel to actually live them out when providing care for your spouse. It may come as a shock to you that anger, frustration, and resentment can go hand-in-hand with fulfilling your vows when caregiving for your spouse.

How Can I Resent Caring for the Person I Love the Most?

In a nutshell, providing care for your spouse is overwhelming, both physically and emotionally. You may feel:

  • Unappreciated and taken for granted
  • Concerned about your spouse’s prognosis
  • Frustrated from insufficient time for self-care
  • Stretched too thin
  • Angry or irritated for inexplicable reasons

All of these feelings are valid and completely normal, even if unexpected – and there are things you can do to overcome them while strengthening your relationship with your spouse.

How to Conquer Spousal Caregiving Resentment

Set and maintain boundaries. Remind yourself that you are human, and you cannot (and shouldn’t attempt to) do it all. Setting an unattainable bar for yourself as a caregiver will quickly result in depression, burnout, and a reduced quality of care for your spouse. Identify realistic expectations that are in line with your strengths and abilities, and bring in help for the rest.

Face your emotions. You might be trying to cover up how you feel to keep the peace, but it’s important to find a safe space to vent. Caregiving is stressful on many levels, and identifying a strong network of support is a must. Speak regularly with a trusted friend or family member, counselor, or spiritual guide.

Explore couples therapy. A professional marriage counselor can be helpful to both of you individually and as a couple. You will gain the tools you need to resolve disputes in a healthy way, to better understand each other’s perspective, to better manage feelings of resentment, and to improve communication. The therapist can also provide you with referrals to other helpful resources as appropriate.

Take care of YOU. If you think of self-care as selfish, think again. Taking care of yourself empowers you to take better care of your spouse. Carve out and prioritize time for pastimes you enjoy, socializing with friends and other family members, and stress-relieving activities: exercise, reading, journaling, listening to music, being outdoors.

Responsive Home Care is here to serve as your partner in care to help you restore a healthier life balance and to rediscover the joy of spending quality time with your spouse. Contact us at (954) 486-6440 to ask about our respite care services and to request a free in-home consultation to learn more about the many ways we can help. Our services are available in Fort Lauderdale, Lighthouse Point, Hollywood, and the surrounding areas.

Having Hard Conversations While Caregiving

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Two women stand in the kitchen with cups of coffee, having hard conversations while caregiving.

Having hard conversations while caregiving is key to maintaining healthy family relationships.

Any time you dedicate so much time to caring for a senior member of the family, it is natural for other relationships to take a back seat. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day, and you can only spread yourself so thin. This may result in additional stress, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings.

The answer to overcoming this obstacle is communication. This means having hard conversations while caregiving, which may be uncomfortable but allow the opportunity to air grievances, share feelings, and ultimately reinforce the love you have for each other.

Having Hard Conversations While Caregiving

First, understand that a planned, formal meeting is not necessary for a conversation to be effective. It can be a quick chat while waiting for the coffee to brew. It should not, however, be a triggered response to a stress-inducing incident. Plan to talk about a concern before the stress has an opportunity to build up to an explosive level (or when you’ve had the opportunity to settle down).

Here is an example scenario and how to include a courageous conversation. Your teenage daughter is feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable bringing friends over because of the dementia-related behaviors of your elderly parent. Begin with this brief assessment to gauge the answers for yourself along with your teen:

  • What do we need from each other?
  • What goals do we wish to accomplish from this conversation?
  • What do we have to give and receive?
  • What do we want each other to know?
  • What exactly are each of us feeling and thinking?

Include in your assessment the feelings of the individual in your care as well. In particular, prior to the cognitive decline, determine what your mom would want for you personally as well as your daughter.

With this framework in mind, allow yourself to be honest, authentic, and vulnerable. Listen to each other’s viewpoint respectfully, offer empathy and understanding, and collaborate to create a viable solution.

Is It Better Left Unsaid?

You might feel as though it’s simpler to maintain status quo than to risk upsetting a family member by initiating a challenging conversation. And certainly, situations may arise that are best resolved through another means, like speaking with a professional therapist to unravel your feelings and thoughts before approaching someone else with them. As a general rule of thumb, however, nothing beats open, honest communication to allow you and those you care about to better understand one another.

Let a Responsive Home Care caregiver help you carve out time for the conversations you need with other members of the family by providing skilled, professional in-home care for the person you love. Contact us at (954) 486-6440 for more information regarding our home care in Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, and the surrounding areas.

How to Talk to Older Loved Ones About Aging Care

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Adult son and elderly father sit on a couch having a conversation.

These tips can help you talk to older loved ones about aging care in a calm and respectful way.

Maybe you remember having “the talk” with your parents about those cringeworthy pre-teen topics. If you thought that was uncomfortable, brace yourself for having to talk to older loved ones about aging care issues and concerns you are noticing at home! This is often very difficult, for several reasons:

  • Your parents may resent what appears to be a reversal of roles or being told what to do
  • They could be in denial that there’s a problem at all
  • They could feel threatened and fearful of losing independence and the freedom to make their own choices

How can you overcome these very valid feelings to come to a place of acceptance about home care services? Try these tips as a starting point to talk to older loved ones about aging care:

  • Plan the conversation: what you will discuss, who will attend, where you can best talk without distractions.
  • Think through what it would be like to be in your parents’ shoes and exactly how you would want the conversation to go.
  • Resolve to remain calm and respectful through the entire discussion, never attempting to parent your parents.
  • Listen to your parents’ worries with an open mind and without preplanned responses.
  • Realize there may be more than one solution – and, that it often takes more than one conversation to achieve agreement.

Before approaching your parents, practice what you want to say with someone you trust to give you straightforward feedback. Role-playing is a good strategy to refine your presentation and words and to help you gain confidence.

When you are ready to talk with your parents, be prepared for any outcome. In a perfect world, they will agree with your concerns and be open to having the support of a home care professional. It’s certainly possible that they share your concerns, but were unsure how to broach the subject with you. But likewise, be prepared for resistance, defensiveness, and possibly even anger.

In the event that the discussion is producing heightened emotions and you are reaching an impasse, shelve the conversation and try again later. It may be beneficial to include someone your parents trust and respect in a subsequent conversation, such as a close friend or medical professional.

When you are ready to explore home care options for your parents, contact Responsive Home Care. We can start out with minimal support, such as meals, transportation accompaniment, or light housekeeping, and slowly work up to more care once your parents feel comfortable with their caregiver.

We understand how difficult it can be for someone to acknowledge the need for assistance at home. Our goal is always to cultivate an environment of independence in which each individual in our care remains as much in control of all of life’s decisions as possible. You can connect with us 24/7 at (954) 486-6440 for more information about our highly personalized home care services in Hollywood, Plantation, Lighthouse Point, and the surrounding areas.

Tips for Increasing Caregiving Patience: It Takes Practice!

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patient-caregiver

Taking care of an aging adult can be tiresome, but these tips can help you with increasing caregiving patience.

Does waiting in line at the grocery store make you want to pull your hair out? Do you get antsy when the doctor is running behind for your appointment? Some people just appear to project a natural sense of patience, no matter what the circumstances. Wouldn’t you like to know their secret, particularly when it comes increasing caregiver patience in caring for a loved one?

Thankfully, it is possible to increase your level of patience in much the same manner in which you increase your endurance in exercising – through practice. Try these recommendations to help with increasing caregiver patience:

How Do I Become More Patient?

  • It’s OK to not fix the problem immediately. Allow something that is broken to remain broken for some time as opposed to pressuring yourself to quickly deal with it.
  • Take a beat, and truly listen when others are speaking. It’s easy to begin formulating your response before the person has finished, but strive to place all your concentration instead on everything they are saying.
  • Attempt to channel your inner child. Let yourself laugh more, be silly, and remind yourself not to permit the small things that irritate you to become big things. A little lightening up and letting go can go a considerable way towards getting rid of stress.
  • Focus on being in the moment. When your thoughts begin to wander, recognize the distraction, but gently guide your thinking back to your breathing.
  • Deliberately put yourself in circumstances that necessitate patience. Let someone go ahead of you next time you’re standing in line. Make yourself wait a few moments (or more!) prior to checking your phone. Initiate a conversation with an individual who tests your patience.
  • Accept your present circumstances. Perhaps the person you’re caring for is taking a lot longer to get dressed than you’d like. Remind yourself that your job is to provide care but to also allow the person to stay as independent as possible, and often that will call for allowing some additional time and a good measure of patience.

When time is of the essence, however, it becomes all the harder to stay patient. Let a caregiver from Responsive Home Care help. We are available to provide a full range of home care in Lighthouse Point and the nearby areas that will help you free up the time you need. Reach out to us at (954) 486-6440 to find out more information and to ask about a free in-home consultation.

New Year’s Resolutions While Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s

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2023-alzheimers-resolution

These New Year’s resolutions can help you better prepare for caring for someone with Alzheimer’s in 2023!

While everyone else is focusing on getting more exercise, dropping a few pounds, or sticking to an insufferable diet, as a caregiver caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, just getting through each day will be challenging enough for you. The notion of striving to improve upon any part of your life in this unsettling time can be overwhelming.

At Responsive Home Care, we want to boost your morale. We realize caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is often both frustrating and rewarding, and we’re here to support you by any means we can. To start, we have compiled some resolutions just for Alzheimer’s caregivers that can actually help make your journey a bit easier.

What Resolutions Are Good for a Dementia Caregiver?

Take a step back, and consider the following:

  • Make time for you. Of course, that’s easier said than done. But taking time for yourself is vital to both your quality of life and that of the person you are taking care of. It does not need to be anything elaborate or extensive, unless you want it to be. Merely carving out a couple of hours once a week for an activity you like can provide the rejuvenation you need. A reliable family member or friend can fill in while you’re away, or contact Responsive Home Care for a trained, experienced caregiver to help.
  • Remind yourself that you know what is best. Family caregivers may find themselves surrounded by well-intentioned people who wish to offer advice. While their ideas may work well for other people, they may not be applicable in your situation. Listen respectfully to any advice offered and thank the individual for the idea, but then ultimately trust your judgment in making the ideal care decisions for your circumstances.
  • Take it easy on yourself. At the end of the day, you are human, and it’s inevitable to slip up from time to time. Resolve that this will be the year that you thoroughly rid yourself of any guilt, and in exchange remind yourself that you are doing the very best you can to help make life better for the person you love.

For help with caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and for some additional helpful resources, contact Responsive Home Care any time. We will be pleased to visit with you in your home at no cost to talk about the challenges you are facing and to provide creative solutions to help, such as:

  • Help with aggression, wandering, agitation, repetitive behaviors, sundowning, and more
  • Planning and preparing meals based on individual preferences
  • Providing engaging activities and conversations to keep both mind and body active
  • Support as needed with personal hygiene tasks, while cultivating independence
  • Transportation and accompaniment to appointments and outings
  • And much more

Call us at (954) 486-6440 for more information about our services and how a home health aide in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the nearby areas can help.

Downsizing for Seniors with Dementia

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Learn the benefits of downsizing for seniors with dementia.

You’ve come to the realization that the family home is just way too much for your mother and father to take care of. A smaller home became available just around the corner from you that’s ideal: a lovely flower garden in the backyard, a bright, cheerful kitchen, and no stairs to navigate. Now it’s time to begin the downsizing process. The only problem? Mom has dementia.

It’s not uncommon for seniors with dementia to struggle with change. Leaving the familiarity of home and moving into a brand new one can increase feelings of agitation and anxiety, but there are strategies to help ease the transition.

  1. Pace yourself. It’s natural to want to rip the band aid off and make the downsizing process as quick as possible for seniors with dementia. However, a better approach in this situation is taking time to discuss the upcoming changes with the older adult, one step at a time. Keep a consistent and calm demeanor, and empower the person to maintain as much control over the required decisions as possible.
  2. Maintain memories. Take pictures and/or videos of some of the items being donated or discarded and use them to create a scrapbook for the older loved one. This helps aging loved ones to revisit the items anytime they would like, and can also be used to spark conversations and reminiscing after the move.
  3. Create a system. Donating and discarding seniors’ possessions are necessary parts of the downsizing process. Again, include the individual in the decision-making process to the greatest extent possible. There will probably be specific items the older adult can’t stand to part with, which can be placed into storage if the new living arrangement can’t accommodate them. If there are items the senior rarely uses or sees, however, it might be easiest to have those removed before involving the person in the process.
  4. Set up the new home yourself. Arrange the senior’s most loved furnishings and items of comfort in the new living environment before bringing them in. Include photographs of friends and family near the bed, so they can see them when they go to bed and first wake up. Then bring the senior loved one in, and help with rearranging anything they’d like adjusted. This process will lessen the anxiety that may occur for someone needing to unpack and figure out the best locations to place items in a brand new environment.

Our Alzheimer’s care team is thoroughly trained, experienced, and highly skilled, and we are available to help through the downsizing process and beyond for seniors with dementia. Reach out to us at (954) 486-6440 or online for more information about our caregiver services in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the nearby areas.

Time Management Tips for Family Caregivers

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Family caregiver writing notes

Learn these time management skills for family caregivers.

It’s easy to feel like there’s no way to fit all of your duties as a family caregiver into 24 short hours. Family caregivers are often overloaded with daily care tasks: Housework and laundry. Personal care and hygiene. Planning activities that are purposeful and enjoyable for the older adult. Planning and preparing meals. Medical appointments. Shopping and other errands. And all of this is in addition to meeting the needs of your own household, children, spouse, and if there’s any time left over, yourself!

Take time to pause and take a deep breath, and then consider implementing these tried-and-true time management pointers to help each day run more smoothly.

Prioritize

Begin the day by prioritizing your tasks by logging them into categories, such as what must be done today, what you’d like to complete today, and what can hold off until a later date. This permits you to dedicate your full focus to the most important needs and set aside the rest.

Implement

Procrastination is so easy to fall into! Now that you have a plan in place for the day, jump in and accomplish the tasks that need your attention. Nevertheless, bear in mind that self-care should always be a top priority. Surround yourself with a powerful support system that allows you the time away needed to ensure your own health is not being compromised.

Define

With your list of duties for the day at your fingertips, choose who is best suited to manage them. Perhaps you are the best person to aid a senior loved one with showering and getting ready for the day, while a neighbor may be able to take the older adult to the doctor and out for lunch afterwards.

Remember to keep in mind that you are doing impactful and important work. It is easy to get swept up in the daily details and lose sight of the big picture and the fact that all you do for the senior you love is contributing to a lasting and positive impact.

Bearing that in mind, allow yourself some grace on the days when things don’t go as scheduled, as will definitely be the case from time to time! When a setback or crisis arises and your to-dos are left undone, know that tomorrow is a new day and the tasks are going to be there whenever you are ready to tackle them again.

Responsive Home Care’s caregivers are experienced, fully trained, and ready to help you in meeting each one of a senior family member’s needs – giving you the time away you need for a balanced and healthy life. Call us at 954-486-6440 or contact us online for a free in-home consultation for more information about our in-home care in Fort Lauderdale and the nearby areas.

Should You Rethink the Way You Approach Caring for a Loved One?

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senior man hugging caregiver

You may have doubts about others caring for a loved one, but here’s why it’s important to let others help.

“You can make it, but it’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone.” – Betty Ford

We all realize that no person is an island, something that especially holds true when caring for a loved one with dementia. Nonetheless many family caregivers falter with regards to asking for or accepting the help they need. As a result, stress is exacerbated, as there’s little if any time for self-care – something that is essential for any person in a caregiving role.

Why are we frequently so resolved to tackle such an extraordinary undertaking independently? Here are several common reasons and why we must rethink them:

  • I am doing just fine on my own; I don’t need a break. To put it simply, science disagrees! A research study shared in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry revealed that a certain stress hormone was depleted in caregivers whose stress was chronic and prolonged – such as in providing Alzheimer’s care independently – while those who engaged in just two days per week of respite care achieved a rise in the hormone as well as a brighter outlook and elevated mood.
  • Mom would never want someone else taking care of her. Many of us would balk if we were told that someone was coming over to give us a bath. But having someone come and assist with housework and meals is a good approach to introduce a new caregiver, working your way up to additional necessary services once the caregiver is known and accepted. The phrasing you utilize tends to make a significant difference as well. Having a “salon day” sounds far more inviting, for instance.
  • No one else could take care of Mom like I will. While you are certainly not replaceable, the purpose of enlisting help is certainly not replacement, but respite. A senior with Alzheimer’s can benefit through the socialization provided by someone other than yourself, while you gain the benefit of a much-needed break – ultimately allowing you to provide better care to the older adult when you return.
  • It’s too time consuming to try and find a caregiver I will be able to trust. At Responsive Home Care, we background check and professionally train each one of our caregivers, confirming key character traits such as reliability, kindness, flexibility, and so much more. Responsive Home Care is insured and bonded, for your additional peace of mind. We also carefully match each older adult with the ideal caregiver who will be most compatible. Lastly, if an older adult’s primary caregiver is sick or on vacation, we will provide an equally qualified replacement caregiver.

If you’d like to explore in-home respite care for a senior you love with Alzheimer’s, connect with Responsive Home Care for caregiver services in Fort Lauderdale, FL or the surrounding area. Our professionally trained, experienced, creative, and compassionate caregivers are available to help you reduce stress, improve life for the senior you love, and provide you with the opportunity for self-care. Contact us at (954) 486-6440 to set up a free in-home assessment!

Are You Experiencing a Lack of Caregiver Appreciation?

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caregiver appreciation

Lack of caregiver appreciation can lead to burnout or depression.

As soon as you woke up this morning up until the end of an exhausting day, you have given your all to your older family member. You provided assistance with showering and dressing, prepared nutritious meals, cleaned the house, all while making certain a senior loved one was happily involved in enjoyable activities, made it to their 2:00 hair appointment, and picked up groceries and prescriptions afterwards. And while you are not doing any of these things for a pat on the back, a simple “thank you” would be nice – but is almost never offered as a sign of caregiver appreciation.

If you are feeling a lack of caregiver appreciation or completely unappreciated altogether, you’re not alone. This is a frequent occurrence in caregiving for a number of reasons, and if not addressed, can cause caregiver burnout or depression. These strategies can help.

  1. Learn the skill of self-appreciation. The work you are doing is extremely important, and you deserve to be rewarded for it. Choose something each week that you’re going to do for yourself for a job well done. It could be as simple as one hour spent reading on the porch swing or a dessert from your favorite bakery. You can also plan for larger rewards, such as a long weekend getaway, by engaging respite care services from a dependable care partner like Responsive Home Care.
  2. Try to understand their perspective. There are a number of reasons a senior may not be expressing gratitude for the work you are doing. Someone with dementia or another chronic condition could be fully focused on their own struggles or the day-to-day tasks close at hand which are typically now more challenging. Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes can help you accept that a lack of verbal appreciation doesn’t automatically equate to true ungratefulness.
  3. Start modeling appreciative behavior. Let the senior see by example how good it feels to be appreciated by genuinely thanking them whenever the ability arises, no matter how small. If they fold and hang up the towel after their shower, clean off the table after lunch, or help with putting away groceries – be sure to thank them.

By providing home health care in Fort Lauderdale, FL and surrounding areas, we are always here to share in your caregiving duties, to alleviate stress and allow you plenty of time for self-care. Regularly scheduled time away is essential, and we’re here for as much or as little as you will need. While you’re taking care of yourself, we will help a senior you love with:

  • Companionship for conversations, games, puzzles, hobbies, exercise, etc.
  • Laundry and housekeeping
  • Meals
  • Medication reminders
  • Personal care (showers, baths, getting dressed, etc.)
  • Transportation to fun outings or appointments
  • And much more, according to each person’s unique needs

Reach out to Responsive Home Care for a complimentary in-home consultation and let us know exactly how we can help.

How to Be a Supportive Family Caregiver for Someone with a New Diagnosis

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family-caregiver-talking-with-senior-womanIt may have been suspected, or maybe broadsided you out of nowhere. Mom has just received the official diagnosis for a progressive disease that’s going to make independent life a challenge. While there are lots of unknowns, one thing is for sure: she is insistent about remaining at home – meaning you may need to learn how to be a supportive family caregiver.

If you are feeling a bit stressed with what to anticipate next, these guidelines can certainly help.

  • Learn as much as you can in regards to the disease. The senior’s physician can provide you with resources and educational materials that will help you know what to anticipate and also to gain confidence in your caregiving role.
  • Get organized. Create a binder in which to store important paperwork: prescription details, test results, contact information for physicians’ offices and the pharmacy, and any other important medical information. Start a journal to help keep track of any changes in condition or concerns that arise, along with the details surrounding those changes.
  • Set aside past hurts. A new diagnosis could cause old family dynamics to resurface. If unsettled issues are interfering with your ability to provide the best care, seek the support of a professional counselor to effectively work through them.
  • Establish boundaries together. Speak with the senior about how much and what sort of help could be beneficial. It is normal to want to step in and take over, but it’s vital for the individual to maintain as much independence and control as possible.
  • Take proper care of yourself, too. Your own personal health and wellness are equally important. And, the level of care you provide can be compromised if your own needs are not being met. Prioritize and designate time each day for self-care by seeking out and accepting assistance from others.

It’s important to know about the chance for depression and caregiver burnout, and to take the appropriate steps immediately in the event that you start to experience red flags such as:

  • Increased anxiety, agitation, and irritability
  • Retreating from social interactions
  • Lack of interest in once-enjoyed hobbies
  • Resentment
  • Loss of appetite
  • Issues with falling or staying asleep
  • Difficulty with concentration and focus
  • Exhaustion

Locating a dependable care partner provides time for you to see a physician for a checkup to rule out other potential health problems, to speak with a therapist to effectively work through the many emotions involved with caregiving, and to relax and recharge.

The Weston home health care team at Responsive Home Care is here with further resources for family caregivers, as well as skilled, dependable respite care services that enable a healthier life balance. Reach out to us for a complimentary in-home consultation to find out more about our services and list of communities served.