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Homecare: When Did You Last Examine Your Role as a Family Caregiver?

Homecare: There are close to ten million family caregivers in the U.S. It's estimated that about one of every five Americans is a family caregiver.
Homecare in Linden NJ: Family Caregiver
Homecare in Linden NJ: Family Caregiver

Homecare: There are close to ten million family caregivers in the U.S.

It’s estimated that about one of every five Americans is a family caregiver. While this may not seem too concerning, one of every five family caregivers also reports their health as fair to poor. Consideration for homecare assistance can be a big help at this time.

You’re a family caregiver. Have you sat down and examined your role. Are you doing too much and leaving little time to take care of yourself? Spend some time during National Family Caregivers Month to ask yourself these essential questions.

 

Homecare in Linden NJ: Family Caregiver

 

Is Anyone Else Helping You?

You have a brother and sister, yet you’re the only one providing care to your mom or dad. Why? Is there a good reason that your siblings are not helping out?

Your brother may live in another state. He can’t stop by, but he could still be helping by making appointments for your parents and letting you know when they are. He could be paying bills for them or ordering their prescription refills for delivery.

Your sister could cook a week’s worth of meals at her house and drop them off. That frees up some of your day, allowing you to focus on self-care.

 

Have You Asked for Help?

If you don’t have anyone helping you, think about if you’ve ever asked for help? Your family members can’t read your mind. They may not realize you’re overwhelmed. Talk to them and let them know you need help.

Use a service like Google to come up with a calendar you can share with others. Color-code the different tasks that are done each day, week, and month to make them easy to pick out. Once they can see what’s happening each day, they’ll be able to see how different tasks fit into their schedule.

Your cousin may have time on Friday to take your mom and dad to the grocery store. Your sister may have Sunday free to do the laundry. This will ease your daily to-do list.

 

When Was Your Last Break?

When was the last time you took a break? Think about your daily routine. You’re up every day at 5 a.m., even on weekends, to get breakfast prepped, take a shower before others awaken, and feed the pets.

You’re constantly doing things until everyone else is in bed. At that point, it’s already 10 p.m., and you’re exhausted, but you still have some work deadlines looming, so you try to fit in an hour of work while the house is quiet.

Stop. It’s time to take a break. You need sleep. You need to relieve the pressure and stress. It’s time to take a closer look at respite care from a local home care agency.

Don’t try to do it all. It’s too easy to become burned out, which will impact your own emotional, physical, and mental health. Use home care assistance to ensure your parents have the help they need when you’re taking a break. Talk to an expert in homecare assistance to learn more about your area’s prices and home care services.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Homecare in Linden, NJ, call the caring staff at Helping Hands Home Care today at 908-418-4299.

Providing Home Care Services in all of Northern and Central NJ, including Clark, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Rahway, Linden, Summit, Edison, Elizabeth, Mountainside, and the surrounding areas.

Sources:

https://www.caregiving.org/caregiving-in-the-us-2020/

Robert D'Arienzo

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