Are You Overwhelmed by Suddenly Discovering You’re a Caregiver?

As odd as it might sound, plenty of caregivers suddenly realize that they’re the primary family member caring for an elderly family member. That can be a scary and eye-opening moment for you, especially if this wasn’t your goal.

You’re the Closest One to Your Senior

If you’re geographically the closest family member to your elderly family member, that might have automatically made you her caregiver as far as everyone else is concerned. This sort of caregiving starts out slowly, often with you stopping to check in on your senior. Before you know it, you’re doing more and more for your elderly family member. It’s important that you really examine how you got to this point because any lingering resentment over how it happened can color your relationship with your senior.

You Have More Time Available than Anybody Else Does

It’s also possible that there are plenty of other family members in the area, but you’re the one who has the most spare time. Being a caregiver takes up a lot of time and energy, especially if your senior needs a good bit of help. Your other family members might want to help out more, but be unable to do so because of other commitments. Again, it’s a good idea to do some deep diving and see if you are feeling resentful at all about this so you can deal with those feelings.

You’re Willing and Able to Get Things Done

Besides time and proximity, there’s also the willingness to get things handled. Sometimes family members or your senior waffle about making solid decisions. They might know what needs to be done, but put it off. If you’re an action-oriented person, that might be how you ended up in the position you’re now in. That’s not a bad thing, but you might have thought your involvement was more temporary.

Find Support for Yourself While Caregiving

No matter how you ended up in your position as a caregiver, it’s vital that you build a support network for yourself. Even if this is temporary for you, it’s crucial for you to have a system that holds you up when you need it. Other family members might be able to do this for you, but your best option is to hire elder care providers. They’ve got the experience in caregiving that you can truly lean on and learn from, especially if you’re feeling unprepared.

If you really aren’t able to continue being your senior’s caregiver, it’s time to hold a family meeting and formally hand over the reins to someone else. But if you can do this, it’s something that is incredibly rewarding and that means so much to your senior.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDER CARE IN URBANDALE, IA, FOR AN ELDERLY LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!