Everyone has limits. You can’t escape that simple fact. Even for the person who says they have none, tell them to jump from the ground up onto a roof. They won’t be able to do it. There are limits to everything, including just how much support and care you can offer an aging loved one.
Many times, though, adult children, especially, take it upon themselves to look after their elderly mother or father. They think it’s their responsibility. They may even feel guilty if they try to avoid this task.
Some family dynamics are so intense that an adult child who lives relatively close to a parent can be made to feel guilty by their siblings, cousins, aunt or uncle, their other parent, and even their own children if they claim they just don’t have time to be there for that elderly senior.
Unfortunately, when most of these family caregivers take on the role, they don’t know their limits and, even if they do, keep pushing beyond them. What happens then is stress builds. Stress can affect every aspect of life, including one’s health.
What can caregiver stress cost?
Not only can it cause that family caregiver to endure stress and anxiety, but it can also affect their health. That can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, panic attacks, diabetes, and so much more.
It can also impact the senior who needs help. Consider how stress affects a person’s concentration. If a family caregiver is overwhelmed with stress, has difficulty at work, is finding their personal relationships impacted by this effort, where will their mind be?
Not likely on the task at hand, regardless of whatever task it is. If they are at their elderly parent’s house supporting them, what if they become distracted by their thoughts, fatigue, or frustration?
That can lead to serious mishaps. That’s why it is so important that people know their limits.
And, to know about home health care.
When a person knows their limits, understands they simply can’t be the kind of support an aging parent or other loved one deserves, they can look and turn to home health care providers.
Home health care is different than basic home care in that it is more medically oriented. These home health care professionals tend to be either LPNs, RNs, or other health care professionals.
That means they can assist with recovery, administer medications, change wound dressings, check vital stats and report that back to the senior’s primary care physician, and so forth.
These are tasks that few family caregivers are not likely licensed to perform, even though they often do them without a second thought.
When you understand your limits, turn to home health care support for assistance.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Home Health Care in Chevy Chase, MD please contact the caring staff at Nest & Care today at (240) 243-9790.
