Caring for Our Caregivers

Caregivers do a lot. If you’ve ever helped with the care of a loved one, even for a few hours, you already know this. What you might not know is that the constant grind of providing care day after day without a break can wear you down. It is important to take care of the elderly members of our family, but it’s also important to care for the people that care for them.

 

Caregiver burnout is a serious problem. Unfortunately, it is family members that often bear the brunt of this. While a professional caregiver can certainly suffer from this exhaustion, it is less common. After all, even though a professional caregiver can go above and beyond in the assistance, love, and compassion that they show, at the end of the day, they get to go to their own homes and rest. A family member acting as a sole caregiver never really gets away from their responsibilities. There are no breaks, no off days. They are on the clock 24 hours a day, every single day. This is exhausting physically and mentally.

 

There are ways to help your family members get the help and assistance that they need without sacrificing yourself or your health. You don’t even need to stop being the primary caregiver to your parent or grandparent, if you don’t want to. The best way to care for yourself as a caregiver is to stop trying to do it all yourself. Reach out to a professional for help. Professional caregivers do not need to come in every day of the week. In fact, you can have a caregiver work around whatever schedule you think is best for your family’s unique needs. For example, if you think that a caregiver coming in for four hours a day, three days a week is all you need, this can be done too.

 

Respite caregivers can help families provide better care.

 

Respite care is another option. This is care that is given on an irregular or even one-time basis. It is designed to help you feel confident that your loved one is in good hands while you are unable to give care, for whatever reason that might be. Perhaps you are going out of town for a few days per work, have a few errands to run, or maybe you just need a break for a few days so you can rest and recharge. No one can give quality care when they are exhausted, run down, and irritable. A respite caregiver might be exactly what’s needed to get back to your old self.

 

If you are looking for care for a loved one, or just have a few questions about what you can do to help make care a little bit easier for your family, feel free to reach out to us. We offer in-home care and respite care in the San Francisco Bay Area, and would be more than happy to sit down with you and go over your options during a free consultation. Hopefully, we can help you find exactly what you need to help your family find the care and rest that they need.

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