Gathering together for the holidays is a long standing family tradition all over the United States, but when you have an elderly family member with mobility issues, sometimes this can become very difficult. When that loved one has moved into a nursing home or an assisted living facility, getting together as a family becomes even tougher. When your mom or dad is receiving in-home care, family traditions like this become easier to keep up, but unfortunately, not everyone is able to get this type of care. That’s one of the reasons why picking a facility that allows for easy transportation–or even provides it themselves–is so important if in-home care isn’t an option.
Either way, family and togetherness is important well beyond the traditional aspect of the holiday season. Feeling loved and being a part of the festivities is crucial because being in need of care can be demoralizing. No one likes to feel incapable, or worse, like they are a burden upon the ones they love. By providing high level senior care for your parent, you are making sure that the stress of this task is alleviated and this way, helping them out a tiny bit during any family get together is a joy and never a burden. Sadly, one of the long term repercussions of giving care to a loved one on your own is that the person that you love so much can cause you to feel overwhelmed and unhappy. This might not make sense until you consider the fact that care can be a continuous job for days, and months, and sometimes, years. It can be daunting to even the bravest family member. You can avoid this with professional senior care, and thoroughly enjoy their company the rest if the time.
Two things need to be brought up here. One, you want your loved one to be happy. This means giving them the love and support that they crave, and this extends well beyond the holiday season. And this leads to the second point: while you want to make your loved one happy, you need to meet their needs at the same time. It’s a very fine line at times, but it’s one that you need to try and walk as best as possible.
That’s one of the reasons why the holiday season is so special. The rules get thrown out for a few hours. It’s easy to bring your loved one home to be with family for a meal in most cases. A caregiver can provide a ride, or a family member can. Helping them out yourself for a little bit isn’t tough and might even be something that you look forward to. Whether you have selected in-home care as the best alternative for your loved one, or something else, making sure that your elderly parent has the best possible care AND making sure they are as happy as possible at the same time will go a long way toward making sure that the holiday season is as enjoyable as possible for everyone in your household.
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