The life of a caregiver is often full of challenges that can create varying emotions. While you may sometimes feel as though you are living on an emotional rollercoaster, it helps to know this is all very normal. After all, it can be difficult to watch your senior loved one age, yet you appreciate the opportunity to get to know him or her better every day. Here are a few strategies to help you manage the emotional side of caregiving.
1. Accept Your Emotions
Trying to fight your feelings can lead to frustration. It is common to feel happy about being a caregiver one moment and then questioning the decision the next. Don’t force yourself to feel one way or the other. Instead, know these emotions are fleeting, and you will quickly find happiness again.
Consider hiring a professional caregiver if your caregiving duties are making you feel overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted. Lakewood, CO, professional home care professionals can be a wonderful boon to seniors. Whether they require around-the-clock supervision or just need assistance with exercise and household tasks a few days a week, seniors can enjoy a higher quality of life with the help of trusted in-home caregivers.
2. Prioritize Rest
Caregivers are sometimes surprised by how exhausted they are at the end of the day. You may also find you don’t even have time to feel anything. When you start to feel exhausted, it is time to take action. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, and delegate certain tasks to other family members or a professional caregiver.
3. Ditch the Resentment
There may be times when it feels as though you are the only one in your family doing all of the work. However, resentment can make you miserable. If your family and friends are unable or unwilling to help, reach out to a wider network of support. For instance, you can arrange for a professional caregiver to help with tasks you find overwhelming, such as bathing your loved one.
If your aging loved one needs occasional help with bathing, grooming, cooking, or other basic household tasks, or if you need time to attend to important personal matters, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of live-in and respite care. Lakewood seniors can maintain their independence while living at home with the help of our reliable respite caregivers.
4. Learn to Manage Loss
Grief is a powerful emotion, and you may find yourself grieving the loss of your job, your independence, or even the relationship you used to have with your parent. If you feel sad, try to identify the source of your loss so you can work through it. If possible, consider attending counseling sessions to learn how to manage loss.
5. Plan Social Activities
When the only person you talk to all day is your loved one, it is normal to feel lonely. Your friends may also have stopped asking you to do things because they know you are always busy. Combat loneliness by making plans to socialize at least once a week. Whether you take your loved one along or arrange for respite care, your mood will lift in the company of friends.
6. Give Yourself Appreciation
There is nothing worse than feeling unappreciated. Instead of moping, start an appreciation journal in which you can list your accomplishments. While the activity might sound silly, you may soon learn everything you do is important.
7. Avoid Feeling Impatient
It can be easy to get impatient when your loved one takes a long time to manage a simple task. Try to leave extra time in your day to make up for anything that takes longer than expected. Creating extra time in your daily schedule is especially effective for easing frustration during long appointment wait times.
You can reduce some of the emotional stresses of caregiving by hiring a professional caregiver. An in-home care expert can assist your loved one with a variety of tasks, giving you time to relax and focus on your own wellbeing. Families looking to hire a Lakewood elderly caregiver can reach out to Home Care Assistance. All of our hourly and live-in caregivers receive extensive ongoing training to ensure they provide the high-quality in-home care seniors need and deserve. To hire a professional caregiver for your elderly loved one, give us a call at (303) 987-5992 today.