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Beyond Weight Loss Resolutions: Meaningful Goals for Family Caregiver Support

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Senior woman backpacking and exploring

Responsive Home Care provides family caregiver support

If you are among the eight percent of Americans who actually accomplish their New Year’s resolution goals, well done! However, if you’re like the majority of us, you have given up prior to even turning the calendar page to February. Although of course it’s admirable to attempt to better ourselves by resolving to get rid of 10 pounds or eat healthier foods, busy family caregivers need support, and there are several truly meaningful, achievable goals that can improve life throughout the year.

Consider these recommendations:

  • Find joy. Taking care of somebody else is a labor of love, but may result in challenges which make it hard to focus on the daily benefits that can spark joy. Take some time each day to pause and discover a reason to smile. Bring a sense of humor to your daily caregiving tasks to share laughter with your family member. Enjoy the feeling of the sun’s rays shining through the window as you’re sorting laundry. Contact a relative who lifts your spirits for a quick chat.
  • See the bigger picture. Make an effort to take one step back from the busyness of your to-do list, and view the effect your caregiving is making. Because of you, your parent can continue living in the comfort and familiarity of home. Thanks to you, life is the absolute best it can be for a senior loved one. Your contribution is priceless and it is making a difference.
  • Compartmentalize. It is extremely important to make mental wellness a priority, and one effective way to cope with the many different responsibilities associated with providing care is to be entirely focused on the present. Visualizing different rooms for different concerns can be helpful; when you start to worry about a planned surgical procedure a senior loved one is facing while watching a film with your kids, visualize setting that concern in its appropriate room until later, and being focused on today.
  • Be kind to yourself. It is very easy to slip into a pattern of wishing you could do more for a loved one, or worrying about errors you’ve made that you wish you might change. Point out to yourself you are human, and that you are doing essential work for the senior you love. Truly appreciate the sacrifices you are making, just as you would take note and appreciate them in another family caregiver.
  • Seek – and accept – help and support. Attempting to be a superhero who deals with everything independently can easily result in burnout and depression. Partnering with others to help a senior loved one is the best way to make sure his / her needs are completely met, while helping you achieve the healthy life balance you need and deserve.

As the leading provider of home health care in Fort Lauderdale, FL and surrounding areas, Responsive Home Care, is the perfect partner for any family caregiver. We deliver highly skilled, professional, and compassionate care for seniors according to each person’s specific needs. Allow us to help! Call our care team at 954-486-6440 and together we can develop a plan of care in order to make 2020 the best year yet – both for the senior in your care, and for yourself. To learn more about all of the areas that we serve in Florida, please visit our Service Area page.

How Can You Tell When Your Senior Loved One Really Needs Some Extra Help?

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It’s not an easy task to determine when your senior loved one needs additional help from you or from a full service private duty home care company. Your loved one might not even want to talk about the subject, making the conversation even more difficult.

Home Health Care Coral Springs FL - How Can You Tell When Your Elderly Loved One Really Needs Some Extra Help?

Home Health Care Coral Springs FL – How Can You Tell When Your Elderly Loved One Really Needs Some Extra Help?

Your Loved One’s Home Doesn’t Look Right

You’ve likely become quite accustomed to how your loved one’s home looks when she’s feeling well and able to keep up with everything. You’ll probably notice quite quickly if her home starts to look different or just not right. That feeling can be one of your first clues that something is going on with your loved one.

Your Loved One Doesn’t Seem to Be Able to Manage Daily Activities

Activities of daily living is a description that applies to the activities that your loved one needs to do every day simply as a part of her normal routine. These kinds of activities include bathing herself and getting dressed every day, brushing her hair, eating healthy meals, and just taking care of the basics of life.

Your Loved One Has Unexplained Injuries or Wounds

If you’re noticing that your loved one has injuries or wounds that weren’t there the last time you saw her and she can’t tell you what happened, that’s a cause for concern. These injuries can be a sign that your loved one is falling or otherwise isn’t having an easy time taking care of herself.

Your Loved One Is More Out of Touch than Usual

Some elderly loved ones have always been a little lax about returning phone calls or answering the phone when you call, but if your loved one is more difficult to reach than ever before, that’s a sign. She may not hear the phone or she may have emotional responses that leave her unwilling to talk to you. It’s important to be able to check in with your loved one, and if she doesn’t get better about it after you tell her you’re worried, there may be more going on.

Your Loved One Doesn’t Seem as Involved in Her Life

If you’re starting to notice that your loved one is not opening her mail, neglecting to pay major bills, or otherwise seeming to be uninterested in her own life, you may need to intervene. These are all signs that your loved one could be overwhelmed or simply out of touch with what she needs to be doing.

Your elderly loved one may need your help, but she may still resist a bit, so there may still be some convincing for you to do.

As the best home care company in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the surrounding area, Responsive Home Care is here to help you and your senior loved one by providing companionship, compassionate care, and so much more. Contact our caring staff today at 954-486-6440.