With an estimated 44 million people taking care of an aging or other disabled loved one in the family (Forbes), it may seem as though this is an easy job. It’s not. In fact, most people who take on the responsibility of being a family caregiver have no idea what they are getting into (at first). They don’t even think of it as a job to begin with.
Most of these people do it out of a sense of responsibility. They think it is their responsibility and job and don’t want to shirk those responsibilities. The vast majority of these family caregivers also have no idea what they are getting into. They have certain misconceptions or notions about what it means to care for an aging parent or grandparent or other loved one, but have never done it before, so how can they possibly know the reality?
Being a family caregiver is an incredible responsibility. It is also an incredibly difficult job. There are many reasons why you or somebody you care about should not try to do this alone. Unfortunately, when one family member tends to step up and start caring for an aging loved one, no matter how often other family members and friends say they can help, take some of the burdens, or give that individual a break, it never seems to work out that way.
Let’s talk about reasons why you or somebody you care about should not be doing this alone and how home care assistance through an agency can be a much better option.
This ‘job’ causes an incredible amount of stress.
Most people don’t think about the stress associated with being a family caregiver because they see it as an act of love. How can an act of love be stressful? After all, you’re still happy your mother is around, even after the heart attack or stroke. You are simply relieved that your father survived that accident.
That’s all well and good, but the truth is, when you are a caregiver, you will face stress. You will feel overwhelmed at times. Your time is limited, and because of that limit, you will start to worry about getting everything done each day.
You will also start to worry about them at night, or when you can’t be there, and wonder if they are safe, healthy, and okay.
A home care assistance aide can fill in the gaps when you can’t be there and alleviate the tremendous amount of stress you will feel as a family caregiver.
You may develop problems sleeping.
When a person is under a tremendous amount of stress on a regular basis, they are going to have more difficulty sleeping at night. Stress affects almost every aspect of life, and it can increase the risk of serious health issues for yourself.
Even if you are not specifically worried about your loved one during those nighttime hours, you will have more difficulty sleeping throughout the night. But with home care assistance supporting you and that senior, you can rest more comfortably knowing that they are in good hands.
Family caregivers can easily run out of time.
The more you help, the more your support is needed. The more you step into and onto all those other responsibilities you’ve taken upon yourself, the less time you have for the things you need.
When you run out of time, what do you do? Turn home care assistance. Instead of having to stop by in the morning every day or after work every single day during the week and then on the weekends, you have somebody there supporting this aging senior, which will magically give you back the time you had been running out of.
Home care assistance is a powerful asset that helps family caregivers avoid going it alone, and that can reduce stress, improve support for the senior, and help you continue to focus on other aspects of your life that are (also) important to you.
Amelia Home Care provides Home Care Assistance in Brooklyn, NY, along with virtual caregiving and remote patient monitoring. Our service area includes Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and Westchester County. Call today at (929) 333-3955
We proudly provide non-medical home care services to individuals with disabilities, injuries, difficulties with mobility, or illnesses. Our team is composed of highly trained and competent staff members who are dedicated and experts in delivering home care services in the comfort of our client’s home.
Through our personalized care plan, we can give you the needed care services that are all intended to cater to your unique personal and health needs. With us, we ensure around-the-clock services and supervision to help you achieve optimum health and wellness.
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