Taking care of elderly parents is as difficult as taking care of children. Often caregivers experience feelings that are hard to cope with. However, once identified, coping with them also makes caregiving easier for them.
How does prolonged caregiving affect primary caregivers?
- Sudden alternative feelings of wanting and not wanting to play the role may be experienced by a caregiver. Whereas some days may feel like caring can bring happiness, but on other days the job may seem too depressing for him or her. This is applicable to both the caregiver and the receiver.
- Sudden outbursts of anger while providing care to your elderly parents at home and losing control over emotions are also both very frequent but normal parts of the caregiving process. Taking care of someone who is irrational or aggressive due to a disturbed mental state can be challenging and can test your patience after a certain period.
- The moment when one realizes that one cannot control the circumstances anymore and can no longer make the caregiver feel anxious, the person may end up with insomnia, heart palpitations, or an impulse to give up on the caregiving.
- A prolonged period of caregiving may also lead to depression. The person may feel trapped in an unending loop from where there is no scope for escape. The caregiver may also feel helpless and dread facing each day as it comes.
- Taking care of a loved one during his or her last days often creates a different bonding between the caregiver and the receiver. The person giving care shares all the experiences of the receiver every day. So after the death of the loved one, it is often very hard for the person to cope with the death.
- The process of caregiving brings a sense of loss to the caregiver. He or she might be losing control of emotion, which often leads to depression and sadness.
Here are 5 tips for managing day-to-day time as a caregiver.
- Schedule your time for the day keeping enough time for yourself. It may sound selfish but it is only practical. Take time out to refill your energy tanks. Taking care of your loved one can drain all your energy and make you feel exhausted; both physically and mentally.
- Often the absence of proper planning makes the caregivers defocused and hence miss out on some important tasks that need immediate attention. This is because of the mismanagement of time and priority. Making a list of things to do on a daily basis may prove helpful in the long run and also give a sense of achievement and satisfaction.
- Ensure all those taking part in the caregiving process have their roles defined properly to avoid replication of duties. This also saves time and energy, bringing more efficiency and management of tasks at the same time. When the duties are equally distributed, it is possible to keep away the depression of the caregivers and the receiver.
- Expect crisis periods during the caregiving process. It is very much possible to feel like things are getting out of hand. However, it is only important to know that it is unavoidable sometimes and should be expected rather than feeling dreadful about it.
- Stop expecting and learn to adjust them with achievable goals. There may be things that cannot be controlled. For example: if the elderly are suffering from a progressive disease like dementia, it is only natural that the ailment will get worse with time. There is very little that can be done about it. Expecting to control the situation can only worsen your emotional well-being when you find that things are not working the way they had planned.
Is it time to ask for help?
Taking care of an elderly who is either physically or psychologically unwell can prove to be taxing on one’s own health. Not all of us can deal with the long-term caregiving process and it is okay if you need help. Caregivers trained in geriatric care can help you with the process and care of the elderly.
- They help you with complex tasks being well trained and capable of handling critical situations
- They assist the elderly to help manage emotional distress by building conversations
- They make scheduled home visits and advisory services that can be availed based on the current situation
- They assess home care needs for the elderly
- They coordinate with concerned personnel for any health issues that require medical help
- They help the caregiver to release stress by giving support during emergencies and times of emotional distress
We, at TriBeCa Care, care about you, and your family. Our Elder Care is categorically structured to provide the elderly with the support that they deserve. If you have any further queries then feel free to reach us. Call us at + 913366064208 or request a callback. Email us at enquiry@tribecacare.com
References:
https://www.caregiver.org/emotional-side-caregiving
https://www.aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/info-2016/time-management-for-caregiver.html
http://www.sciencecare.com/how-to-manage-caregiving-advice/
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-geriatric-care-manager
