Asking for Help Might Not Be as Difficult as it Seems

If you’ve had iffy results asking for help from family and friends in the past, you might be reluctant to ask for their help now. Sometimes it feels easier to just keep trying to do it all yourself. But that gets exhausting.

Get an Idea What Needs to Be Done

Sometimes you’re so busy getting everything done that you’re not even sure anymore what needs to be done and what you could even ask someone else to do. That’s when the idea of even asking for help starts to feel overwhelming. Try to make a running list of what you do during the day to help you to figure out what you might be able to delegate to someone else. While you’re making the list, don’t worry about who might do what or whether it’s a task you can hand over or not. Your first step is getting clear about what has to get done on a regular basis.

Little Tasks You May Be Able to Hand Off Right Away

Once you’ve got your list, it’s much easier to go through and determine what small tasks are ones that you can turn over to someone else. Some of the tasks that you don’t necessarily have to do yourself could be things like running errands, picking up prescriptions, or household tasks. If there are people in your life who can do those things for your senior, hand those tasks over.

Figure Out Who Can Handle Bigger Tasks

The little tasks add up to more than you might realize. By now, you should have the bigger tasks left on your list. Some of those may be tasks that you still feel you need to handle, but others may be ones that you would be okay delegating if you had someone you trusted ready to take the reins. Talk to family members or other people who might fit that category and determine if they’re willing to do what you’re asking them to do.

There Are Still Answers

It can be shocking to hear “no” to a request you’ve made for more help. It’s especially shocking when you’re hearing that same negative response every time you ask for help. But it’s important to remember that your friends and family don’t have to be the only source of assistance you access. Elder care providers can meet those needs you have for assistance and they can do so quickly and efficiently, which is exactly what you need during these busy days as a caregiver.

If you’re still feeling worn down, there may be more you can delegate that you haven’t actually let go of yet. Go through this process again and talk to elder care providers about what else they can handle for your senior. They may be able to handle far more than you expect.

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