Don’t be ashamed to reach out to family and friends for help with your senior parent’s care. Getting assistance can reduce the risk of caregiver burnout and make the role less challenging. Here are some ways you can ask others for help when caring for an aging loved one.
Speak Up
Family caregivers often make the mistake of waiting for family and friends to step up and offer more assistance in their loved ones’ daily lives. When this doesn’t happen, caregivers may become upset and resentful and feel unappreciated. However, your siblings may not understand that caregiving can be a stressful role, so they assume you have everything under control. If you ask for help and develop a plan everyone can agree on, you may receive more volunteers to help with your parent’s care.
Family caregivers need to care for their own wellbeing. If you’re caring for an aging loved one and are feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional caregiver to provide respite care. Tucson families who want to prevent burnout can turn to Home Care Assistance. One of our professional caregivers can assist your loved one at home while you take a nap, go to work, run errands, or go on vacation.
Be Specific
When delegating tasks to your family and friends, make sure to explain the importance of each responsibility. For instance, if your sister is in charge of meal prep, explain to her how certain foods can boost your loved one’s overall health. Receiving specific information may make her more inclined to help and take the initiative to learn more about meal prep, such as the healthiest foods to serve, the best times to serve meals, and what diets to avoid.
Ask a Medical Provider to Help with the Conversation
If you believe the process of getting others involved will turn negative, you could ask your loved one’s primary care physician to stage an intervention with your family. The doctor can explain what needs to be done more concisely and provide details you may not have. Enlisting the help of a medical provider could prevent outbursts and other negative aspects of a family meeting.
Offer Flexibility
Schedules are good to have in place, but emergencies happen, and someone may need to take on additional responsibilities. Therefore, it’s essential to have an emergency plan in place with clear instructions and vital information. Knowing everyone’s schedule a week or two in advance can help you determine what to do in case someone needs to pass certain duties on to another person. The more flexibility family members have, the less reluctant they may be to help out.
Being a caregiver for your loved one can be extremely rewarding, but it can also feel overwhelming at times. If you’re the primary family caregiver for an elderly loved one and need additional assistance providing high-quality home care, Home Care Assistance can help. We are a leading home care agency committed to changing the way seniors age.
Look for Outside Help
You can hire a caregiver based on your loved one’s needs, abilities, and finances. A home caregiver will come in and help with daily tasks for a specific number of hours you and the agency have agreed on. Hiring a caregiver allows you to continue working or fulfilling other personal commitments. It also gives your loved one adequate care while you’re away, which could boost his or her cognitive health, help him or her recover from an injury, and provide the companionship he or she needs.
An experienced professional caregiver can be a wonderful asset for you and your family as you manage the many responsibilities of providing care for your loved one. Though you may be researching multiple agencies that provide in-home care, Tucson, AZ, Home Care Assistance has much to offer your family and your elderly loved one. We are leaders in the senior home care industry, offering proprietary programs like our holistic Balanced Care Method and around-the-clock assistance from reliable, experienced caregivers. Trust Home Care Assistance to help your loved one enjoy a happier and healthier life in the golden years. Reach out to one of our compassionate Care Managers today at (520) 276-6555.