Family caregivers deal with stress each day. How you handle that stress is up to you. Some manage stress with ease, but others find it far more challenging. It is possible to be a family caregiver and avoid some of the stress. You need to rely on others. Senior care services provide you with a level of support that will improve your family’s life.
Senior care covers more than help with housework and meals. Here are the ways senior care has improved people’s lives. You’ll find it can be just as helpful with your family.
It’s Okay to Take Breaks
Senior Care Kensington, MD: Examples of How Senior Care Has Improved People’s Lives
After their dad died, a brother and sister found themselves splitting up the week to ensure someone was with their mom each day. Their mom’s decline from dementia was clear, and they realized their dad had hidden many things from them.
While the brother was single, the sister had two children, a husband, and pets at her home. She was soon managing her household and keeping her mom’s home clean and organized, cooking meals, and keeping up with laundry. She was also finding out if her mom had any appointments coming up and where things stood. Her brother handled bills, phone calls to Social Security, lawyers, banks, and other agencies.
Within months, the balance of work, personal lives, and management of multiple households had both of them stressed. They needed help. That help would come from professional caregivers trained in Alzheimer’s care. The team of caregivers they arranged gave them back their lives. Their visits with their mom focused on her and not everything that needed to be done.
Sometimes Parents Don’t Want You Helping With Personal Care
After her dad’s stroke, one woman found her father would become angry and abusive if she tried to help him with personal care. Wiping his face ended up with him hitting her arms away. Trying to shave him was equally frustrating, and he’d push her with his good arm.
She tried to brush or floss his teeth, but he bit her frequently. She was getting upset and feared she was going to snap. When she hired a caregiver, she was stunned to see how cooperative her father was with the caregiver. It seemed her father simply was uncomfortable having her help with those tasks. With those tasks off her list, she got the rest of the to-do list completed leaving her time to watch a movie with her dad each day.
Your family controls the number of hours or days caregivers are with your parents. If they aren’t ready for help each day, you can start with one day a week and increase from there. A senior care agency can help you make the arrangements that work for your family. Give them a call.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Care in Kensington, MD please contact the caring staff at Nest & Care today at (240) 226-3310.