Family Roles with Elderly Care
As a family member, you are the primary caregivers that are expected to come to an elderly relative’s aid the moment that they need it. Here are some of the most important things that you ought to do as part of your duties.
Provide Support
Just like a professional caregiver, you will be expected to provide support, both physical and emotional, to the patient and your fellow family members in this time of great stress. This holds true more so if the patient starts to lose his or her own autonomy due to age or disease.
Just like a professional caregiver, you would also be expected to run errands and do the household chores at the same time. The clincher? You are expected to do this all without compensation… for the love of the family and the old patient as they say. Don’t be surprised, this is a very dutiful job, and very honorable. I worked as a hair transplant caregiver prior to my job as an elderly home caregiver and both are fulfilling, but there is something to caring for the generation before that is awesome.
This is why as a caregiver, you ought to be careful not to succumb to the stress and challenges that come with the job.
The Financial Aid
As a member of the family, you can also be expected to handle the financial burdens that come with caring for the elderly. In order to properly administer help to the patient, family caregivers are usually tasked with household administration as well. You would have to keep everything running smoothly inside the house so that your patient remains comfortable at all times.
Tips on How to Relieve Stress for Caregivers
The constant accumulation of stress and the necessity of your presence within the familial environment can cause undue anxiety to the caregiver himself. If left unattended, it may lead to a mental breakdown and overall depression.
This is why you would have to take a break once in a while to regain composure and balance in all aspects of your life, especially if you are a family member that is caring for the elderly.
How do you do this? Here are some distressing tips as follows:
Decompress
If you can, wrap every opportunity to get out of the house from time to time. A change in scenery can help you reassess your thoughts and recharge your body accordingly. Spend time with different circles of people whenever you can. This way, you will still be able to see life from a different perspective every so often.
However, if you cannot get out of the house, you can still decompress by stealing moments of solitude within the premises. Do something else to keep you occupied while the patient is asleep for example. This way, you will be able to provide your brain with the reprieve that it needs.
Sleep When You Can
It would also help you to sleep whenever you have the chance. If you have another caregiver that can take your place from time to time, take the opportunity to rest physically. This way, you will be rejuvenated and ready to work again with your relative after just a few hours.
Conclusion
These are just two of the topmost ways to relieve stress for caregivers. If you can do these two simple things, it will do wonders for your own physical health and prepare you for more of the demands regarding taking care of your elderly relative.
