Observational studies point to the fact that most family caregivers live with the elderly person that they help take care of. That makes a lot of sense, but there were many other things that were observed behind this more obvious point. This study also found that family caregivers were more inclined to go through physical, emotional, and/or financial difficulties, be less productive at their work, and saw a marked decline in social interactions, religious organization attendance, and/or taking part in entertaining activities outside of the house.
We know better than most that the care that you give to an older loved one is one of the biggest and most important things that you will do in your life. That doesn’t mean that it’s an easy task. The hardest things that we need to do in our lives are often the most important, though. When you are a family caregiver, you have a lot riding on your shoulders and it can be overwhelming at times. This is a common occurrence, and caregiver stress is not only a very real thing, it’s a very dangerous thing. It’s harmful to both the person experiencing it and the person on the receiving end of care. Many elder abuse and neglect cases stem from this root; not because the family member overseeing care wanted to do something harmful to someone that they love, but rather because they got caught up in the stress and the incident was unintentional or just a momentary lapse of judgment. Either way, it’s a harmful thing.
Addressing the needs that you have as a caregiver is an important part of you providing the loving attention that your family deserves. In some cases, just a little break is all that you need. Instead of staying in on a Friday night to take care of your parent, have someone else do it. If you have relatives that live nearby, ask one of them if they can spend a few hours helping out. If you have a friend or a neighbor that you trust with this responsibility, ask them. There’s no reason that the burden must fall entirely on you. If neither of these options works for you, many in-home care services do offer respite care that you can take advantage of.
Depending on the service that you use, respite care may or may not involve a contract for a set number of hours, so it’s worth asking about this before you make a commitment. However, the benefits of this type of care are something that you will want to at least consider. Respite care can be for a few hours here and there, or several days, or even weeks, at a time. It’s a way for you to take a break and get the rest that you need so you can be a better caregiver, but it also ensures that your loved one is in more than capable hands while you are resting. In other words, respite care is a professional service that helps family caregivers do their jobs better,
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