Many people are living longer these days. Although living longer is ideal, it also means that people may need more assistance as they age. Many would prefer to live independently for as long as they can. Thankfully, there are services in place that can make this happen for in-home senior care providers. Other times, family members step in to help their elderly loved ones with their daily care needs.
These family caregivers can often feel some exhaustion, however, because of the generational disparity between parents and children. The generation of adults is essentially the generation with both senior parents and children of their own to take care of. Providing consistent care for both sectors of family members can become overwhelming. If you are in this position, you need to take the following into consideration in order to avoid burnout.
Plan in Advance
When you have obligations to more than one generation of family members, it is important to plan ahead to help avoid getting overwhelmed, particularly when it comes to your elderly loved ones. First, talk with your loved ones about what they want to happen in the future. While they may be relatively independent now, they might need help later in life. Talk about future living arrangements, the type of care they think they will need, and so on.
This is also a good time to make any improvements to their home. It can be difficult to know what assistance they may need later on, but there are always benefits in installing ramps, grab bars, walk-in showers, and so on. You may also want to discuss better security options to ensure their safety, such as a security system or a video doorbell.
You should also talk about taking legal steps to ensure their needs are met while your loved one is still of sound mind. They should have a will, advanced directive, financial directives, power of attorney, and any other legal documentation they need to have in place to avoid problems down the road.
Consider Getting Help
Now is also the time to think about the help you might need as your loved one ages. When you have multiple responsibilities for your own children and your older family members, it is crucial to have additional help in caring for your senior loved ones whenever possible. You may want to implore other family members to help care for your senior loved ones with appointments, errands, or daily care.
If other family members are not able or willing to help, consider hiring an in-home care provider. These providers can help take the load off of your shoulders with the daily care of your loved one. You will be able to spend more quality time with them.
You can schedule an in-home care provider to help with their daily need including housekeeping, errands, medication dispensation, bathing, cooking, and so on. For more information on home care services, contact a company like Moonlight Home Health Care.
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