When a loved one needs care at home, it can bring on a lot of added stress and emotional distress. Of course you want the best for your loved one, so it becomes easy to take on additional responsibilities, and if you have a family of your own, it makes it even more difficult. It’s easy to become physically and emotionally drained.

The added stress that comes along with caring for an elderly loved one at home needs to be managed so that you can be the best caregiver you can be. Without taking care of yourself, how can you possibly take good care of anyone else? Following are our best tips for how to cope with the stress of senior home care.

How to Cope With the Stress of Senior Home Care

Be Organized

Being organized is not everyone’s forte, but it is one of the key ways to cope with the stress of senior home care. A lack of organization adds more stress and chaos into an already stressful and busy schedule. So, if you’ve been putting off getting organized or if you simply don’t know how, now is the time to take action and get it done, whether that means getting outside organizational help or not. Here are some resources we have put together to help you get started:

How to Create a Caregiving Plan

How to Create a Needs Assessment

Take Necessary Breaks

In-home respite care is considered by many family caregivers to be a lifesaving necessity. It allows you to hire short-term home care aides to fill in when you either need a break or can’t be there for your loved one. Now, before you poo-poo this idea thinking it’s too selfish, think again. Never forget that the best way you can care for your loved one is to be the healthiest and happiest version of you that you can be. You can’t be that person if you are stressed and run down. Using respite care services is an important part of being a good caregiver.

Ask for Help

More often than not, the brunt of the caregiving efforts falls on one person even though that person often has siblings and other family members who could chip in. Sometimes, it is necessary to ask for help. Don’t wait for them to come to you. Just because a family member hasn’t asked to help doesn’t mean they won’t. Many people don’t realize how much goes into caring for a senior loved one, and once they start helping, they will realize how much effort you have been putting in and will probably offer their help more often. Think about whom else in your family could help out, and sit down with them and ask. It could open up doors that would have otherwise never been opened.

Take Supplements

To meet the demands of caring for a senior loved one, you will wear yourself down if you aren’t supporting your body with the nutrition it needs. Herbal supplements are a great way to provide nutrition and support for a stressed body.

Pursue a Hobby

It may seem counterproductive to take up a hobby right now because you probably feel like there is just no time, however that is the reason you should! When we are pursuing our hobbies, we feel passionate, alive and happy. It nurtures the soul and supports our emotional health. Enlist the help of your family or respite care so that you can make the time to do something you love. It will make you a much better caregiver!

Photo Credit: freedigitalphotos.net, stockimages