Elderly Care Hicksville NY
It's important to understand what you'll be facing when you agree to be a family caregiver for your elderly loved one. Not everyone's situation is exactly the same, of course, but there are some challenges that are fairly universal when it comes to caring for loved ones.
Your Time Will Get Tougher to Manage
Being a family caregiver takes a lot of time out of your normal daily activities. Even if your elderly loved one is living on her own and still fairly self-sufficient, caregiving still takes time. You'll still have all of your other obligations, such as your job, your significant other, your kids, and your pets, but you'll have to adjust your time management to take care of your loved one, too.
You'll Have Demands from Multiple Corners
Caregiving doesn't take nights or weekends off, and that can mean that you have competing demands from multiple different people and situations. You may need to leave work early, for example, to help your loved one with a situation. Or you might need to make phone calls to multiple different agencies to help your loved one set up an appointment. Some of these demands may be tasks that you can delegate to others. You may also want to hire senior care providers so that you can focus on one demand at a time.
You'll Be Physically Tired
There are two types of physical tiredness you're going to encounter as a family caregiver. You'll be tired from spending long hours dealing with issues for your loved one and feel like you don't ever get enough sleep. You may also find yourself tired in the muscular sense, especially if your loved one has physical disabilities that require lifting and other physical assistance.
You'll Also Be Mentally and Emotionally Tired
Your brain will be exhausted from trying to find the right solutions for your loved one. You'll have to become extremely creative in some of your solutions. Your emotions will also get a workout. Your loved one might frustrate you or some of the situations that your loved one has to deal with might make you extremely sad for her. You'll need to make sure that you have the emotional support that you need to continue being a strong family caregiver.
Being a family caregiver for your elderly loved one can be extremely rewarding, but it isn't always easy.