When you’re a family caregiver, it’s not uncommon at all to feel as if everything is pulling your time, your attention, and your energy in wildly different directions. What matters is that you’re doing what you can to protect your energy and to refresh it as often as possible. That might mean making some changes to your daily and weekly routines in order to support your goals to be there for your elderly family member.
Make a List of What You Enjoy Doing
Sometimes when you’re taking care of someone you love, what you used to enjoy doing falls by the wayside. You might even feel as if you don’t remember what you used to do for fun. If that’s the case for you, it can help to make a list of what you love doing for enjoyment. Then, when you do have time just for you, you’re not left feeling adrift.
Ensure You’re Taking Care of Yourself
Another problem that caregivers run into is that they don’t take the best care of themselves, which makes caring for someone else almost impossible. Make sure you’re eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, and getting some exercise in. Set a target for quality sleep and do what you can to hit that mark.
Take at Least One Day a Week Off from Caregiving
There is likely a lot competing for your attention, including being a family caregiver. If you know that you’re going to take one day a week away from caregiving, that can help you to squeeze out time for other activities. Don’t feel guilty about taking time away, and if you’re uncomfortable stepping away from your senior for the entire day, consider companion care at home.
Bring in Companion Care at Home Services
Home care providers can help your elderly family member with even more than companion care at home. They can help with household tasks, ensure your elderly family member is eating healthy foods, and remind her to stick with her routines. They also offer companionship, ensuring your elderly family member doesn’t feel isolated when you’re gone for a day.
Plan Your Days Well
Because you’re balancing so much as a family caregiver it’s important that you’re working to make sure your days are balanced. Try to space out appointments and obligations throughout the week so that they’re not demanding too much from you on one particular day. This is another area in which having some extra help makes a difference.
Celebrate the Best Parts of Each Day
Take some time either at the end or beginning of each day to celebrate the things that are going right. It’s all too easy to focus a lot on what isn’t working well or what isn’t happening, for you and for your senior. When you take the time to be grateful for the good things, you’re putting mental energy in positive places.
Keeping your own energy up is going to help you to be a much better caregiver. You’ll have more to offer to your senior when she needs it from you.
Source
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/topics/family-caregivers
If you or an aging loved one is considering companion care at home in Laurel, MT, call the caring staff at SYNERGY Home Care of Billings today. 406-839-2390
