How Can You Keep Being a Caregiver as Long as Possible?

By Andy Niska | August 30, 2018 |

Caregiving doesn’t last forever, whether that means that your senior no longer needs you or you simply aren’t able to be a caregiver any longer. Ideally, you should be able to be there for your aging adult for as long as she needs you. So how do you do that?

Elder Care in Spokane Valley WA: How Can You Keep Being a Caregiver as Long as Possible?

Be on the Lookout for Signs of Burnout.

Caregiver burnout is a little more severe than depression, although many of the signs are the same. If you’re experiencing burnout you may start to feel more irritable than usual, you might stop sleeping well, and you might feel physically ill more often. Get familiar with what your personal signs of overwhelm and burnout are so that you can take action when you start to exhibit those signs.

Talk to Someone You Trust about Your Feelings.

Having someone to talk to that you trust can really help you to vent. If you don’t feel that you have someone in your life like that, you might want to consider joining a caregiver support group or talking to a therapist. No matter what, ignoring this urge to talk to someone else is not going to make the situation go away on its own.

Make Sure that You’re Taking Care of You.

You know what you need to do in order to take care of yourself, but knowing and doing are two different things entirely. Eating right, getting plenty of sleep, and moving regularly all help you to stay in tip top shape for caregiving. If you’re finding that it’s difficult to manage those activities while you’re also caregiving, you may need to let other people take over for a little bit so you can get back into balance.

Don’t Try to Be a Superhero.

With that in mind, don’t try to prove that you have superhuman abilities. You’re one person and that means that sometimes you’re the biggest priority on your list. Hiring elder care providers to handle some of the caregiving for you means that you can focus on yourself as a priority item without neglecting anything that your senior needs. This is a way to help you to be a stronger caregiver, not to shirk any duties as you might be fearing.

Every caregiving situation is different, of course, but that doesn’t mean that you can ignore warning signs. If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed or too worn out by caregiving, you need to take steps right away. Paying attention to what’s going on with you helps to ensure you can keep being a caregiver.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Spokane Valley, WA, please contact the friendly staff at Love at Home Senior Care, today. Call (509) 204-4088

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Andy Niska

Owner at Love In Home Senior Care

Andy has over 20+ years experience in the medical community and has a true compassion for seniors. With a degree in Health Care Administration, he developed a background in a variety of health care services that only comes from first hand experience. While working as a manager of a large clinic and as an account executive for medical suppliers. Andy has built valuable relationships with the medical community.

His role in Love In Home Senior Care is to educate people on what care choice is the best fit for the senior and their family while attempting to make this decision as stress-free as possible for everyone involved.

This decision making process should be smooth and stress free for everyone, including all family members and their loved ones. Having access to people with experience (like the team at Love In Home Senior Care) to assist you along the way can help this process. With an extensive background in health care, Andy has the experience needed to guide and direct your loved one to the choice that is the best fit.