Your senior loved one’s wellbeing is your responsibility. Being a family caregiver is rewarding, but it’s also hard work. While you might start your role off with high energy and the best of intentions, there may come a point where you realize you cannot do everything on your own. Respite care is an option you’ll hear mentioned by experienced family caregivers, yet you may still worry about whether it’s right for your situation. Understanding how hiring a professional caregiver could actually affect your family allows you to make your decision with confidence.
Managing Scheduling Conflicts within Your Family
When you first stepped up as your loved one’s caregiver, other people in your life may have offered to help. However, people sometimes forget about the role you took on as time passes, and they get used to your loved one’s health condition. While your family might have moved on from worrying about your loved one’s Alzheimer’s disease or severe arthritis, you know he or she cannot be left alone. Respite care has the benefit of allowing you to schedule help for any time you need it. Weekends, overnights, and even holidays are no problem when you have a professional respite caregiver to rely on.
Although it may be challenging to find reliable, highly rated home care, you can turn to Assisting Hands Home Care. Our respite and live-in caregivers are expertly trained to assist seniors with a wide array of important tasks, including cooking, bathing, light housekeeping, and exercise.
Finding Time to Take Care of Your Own Health
Someone who has never been a family caregiver may not understand the toll this role takes on your health. While you may have someone tease you about relaxing during your time off, the truth is many caregivers use respite care for other purposes. Having someone stay with your loved one while you visit the doctor or dentist helps you stay strong for your role, and it’s also worth noting that your mental health is important as well. If you need respite care to get some sleep, visit a counselor, or just enjoy an uninterrupted cup of tea, this is also beneficial for everyone.
Family caregivers need to care for their own wellbeing. If you’re caring for an aging loved one and are feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional caregiver to provide respite care. Pearland families who want to prevent burnout can turn to Assisting Hands Home Care. One of our professional caregivers can assist your loved one at home while you take a nap, go to work, run errands, or go on vacation.
Learning to Work with Another Person
You may worry about what will happen when you have someone else in the house. Professional respite caregivers are carefully matched with the families they assist, and you should find that the person who arrives is ready to follow your instructions. Working with a respite caregiver may feel like a relief after you’ve been shouldering the burden of providing care on your own.
Maintaining a Close Relationship with Your Loved One
Your concerns may also include what will happen if you’re not always there to help your loved one with all of his or her needs. While you might benefit from spending an hour or two away from your loved one, it’s also good to know this is beneficial for your relationship. Seniors need to know their family caregivers aren’t overburdened with their care, and your loved one will benefit from having a new friend drop by a few times a week. After a few respite care visits, you’ll quickly see that your relationship is stronger than ever, since you’ll feel more like doing enjoyable activities together.
If you have a senior loved one who needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care, a leading provider of home care Pearland families can trust. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can boost cognitive health and delay the onset of dementia. Call us today to learn about our high-quality in-home care services.
