When a Family Member Burns Out of Caregiving, Home Care Is the Best Option
It’s one of the most natural things for people to do: step up and help when a loved one needs assistance. When that loved one is an aging parent or even your spouse, you don’t think twice. If you live close enough that it makes sense to stop by on a regular basis, you will want to be there for them.
However, most people don’t have experience in this type of profession. They don’t even think of it as a job. But it is a job, one that requires understanding and some level of experience.
Over time, the longer you do this and the more you are called on for help, the more likely you are going to burnout. That is simply the way things are. When you do burnout, though, it’s what you do next matters.
What causes caregiver burnout?
It could be any number of things. One of the most common is simply trying to do too much by yourself.
Over time, frustration can build. It will seem as though there are not enough hours in the day. And no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, it will never seem to be enough. That’s where burnout really starts to set in.
What is the best option?
When you’re talking about elder care, in-home care is arguably the best option to consider for aging seniors. Why? Because, when you hire an in-home care agency, you get individuals who have prior experience supporting aging seniors.
When you don’t have any experience doing this, you will often miss a lot of crucial signs that something is not quite right. You will also overlook some effective strategies that could have made a world of difference to that aging senior.
It’s not a matter of pride, but rather providing the best support for somebody in their Golden years of life. But why in-home care?
Most seniors prefer to age in place.
That’s the bottom line. The majority of people would rather spend the last years of their life in the comfort of a home they have lived in for many years as opposed to a facility. They would also rather stay in their own house than move in with their adult children and grandchildren.
Sure, it can seem like a better choice for everyone involved to just have mom or dad move in with you, but does that mean they are going to get better care? Does it mean they will have support when they need it? Too often when a senior moves in with their adult children and their families, they still need help. But that help is often not available. That’s because people work, people go to school, and people sleep.
If the senior requires assistance at night, they can have that through an in-home care agency. If their struggles are early in the morning, they can have somebody there to help them when they need it most.
What about caregiver burnout? Who can support that family member?
If you have reached the point of burning out of being a caregiver for your aging parent, spouse, sibling, or somebody else you love, you need to find the right support for you. This could be different for each individual, but connecting with other family members who are acting as caregivers is a great option. You may also seek out the services of an experienced and professional therapist if that helps you cope.
But nothing is going to help you more in these situations than setting limits on your time, understanding your own limitations, and recognizing the value of professional in-home care support services.
When you do that, you are stepping into a larger world, one where the pursuit of quality of life becomes just as important as maintaining health and safety for that aging senior. Remember, it’s not just about the quantity, but also the quality. And you get a higher quality of life when a person who needs support has the right experienced help when they need it most.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Matawan NJ, please contact the caring staff at Lares Home Care 888-492-3538 or 732-566-1112.
