A lot of the time, we think of the need for senior care as something that just impacts one person–the senior citizen who is in need of assistance. But what I’ve found over the years (and having a loved one develop a need for care themselves), is that thinking about just the person receiving care is a very limited and often ineffective way of approaching the issue.
If you have ever had a loved one who is in declining physical or mental health, you know firsthand just how tough it is. In fact, if you’ve ever helped care for an elderly loved one, you know that you probably could have benefited from some sort of assistance yourself.
When planning for your loved one’s care, it’s important that you think about yourself and other family members, too.
Think about the major health issues that impact seniors. To name a few, these include Alzheimer’s disease, pain management, osteoporosis, and disability. All of these impact the person with the medical issue, but they also have an impact on the people around them. For example, when your dad has Alzheimer’s, it is certainly not an easy thing on you. Not only is it physically demanding for families to help someone cope with their changing circumstances and needs, it is emotionally draining to watch someone that you love suffer. When someone that you’ve known your entire life suddenly doesn’t recognize you, or is in so much pain that they cry, there’s an emotional toll that’s taken. Needless to say, family members are profoundly impacted when a loved one needs care.
This is one reason why it’s important that any senior care service that you employ looks at the whole family when determining a course of action. Yes, your mom or dad is the primary individual that’s in need of care, but there are many others that are impacted. For example, if your dad would benefit equally from in-home care or assisted living and has no strong feelings about either, taking into account that you would prefer one over the other is important. Incorporating an entire family into the care plan isn’t easy, but it’s something that the best care services will do.
We strongly urge you not to forget about yourself when helping a loved one with their care. Maybe you just need a break for a few days from acting as a family caregiver. In this instance, using a respite care service can be of benefit. Maybe you just are emotionally exhausted and don’t know what the next step is. Whatever your circumstances might be, we encourage you to get in touch with our care planning team. We offer free consultations here at Paradise In-Home Care. You can use this time to brainstorm ideas and come up with the best possible solutions for caring for your elderly mom or dad. Our list of services offered may be helpful to you, or they may give you an idea of other ways that you can improve your loved one’s quality of life. Give us a call today to schedule your meeting.
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