The life of a caregiver is often full of challenges that can create varying emotions. While you may sometimes feel as though you’re 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’s common to feel happy about being a caregiver one moment and then question the decision the next. Don’t force yourself to feel one way or the other. Instead, know these emotions are fleeting, and you’ll quickly find happiness again.
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’s time to take action. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, and delegate certain tasks to other family members or a professional caregiver.
Whether you need respite from your caregiving duties or your aging loved one needs live-in care, Edmonton, AB, Home Care Assistance can meet your family’s care needs. Our dedicated caregivers are available around the clock to provide transportation to doctor’s appointments, ensure seniors take their prescribed medications, and help with a variety of tasks in and outside the home.
3. Ditch the Resentment
There may be times when it feels as though you’re 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.
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.
Family caregivers can address some of the emotional challenges of caregiving by hiring professional in-home care experts. Families who need help caring for a senior loved one can turn to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of Edmonton elder care. Services available in our customizable care plans include meal prep, mental and social stimulation, assistance with personal hygiene tasks, and much more.
5. Plan Social Activities
When the only person you talk to all day is your loved one, it’s normal to feel lonely. Your friends may also have stopped asking you to do things because they know you’re 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’s nothing worse than feeling unappreciated. Instead of moping, start an appreciation journal in which you 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.
Family members can reduce some of the emotional, physical, and mental challenges of caregiving by hiring professional caregivers. Caring for a senior loved one can be challenging for families who don’t have expertise or professional training in home care, but this challenge doesn’t have to be faced alone. Family caregivers can turn to Home Care Assistance for the help they need. We provide high-quality live-in and respite care as well as comprehensive Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care. Schedule a free in-home consultation by giving us a call today at (780) 490-7337.