If you’re not doing everything that you can to make sure that your needs are met as a family caregiver, you’re likely to be stretched too thin in just about every area of your life. That needs to stop in order to keep you on your caregiving journey for as long as you need to be there.
Home Care in Rocklin CA: Caregiver Health
What might be happening?
Feeling Too Selfish
When you’re caring for an aging adult with so many needs of her own, it can feel incredibly selfish to worry about your own needs. After all, your elderly family member needs so very much care, but you’re able-bodied and you can sort out your own needs some other time. The problem is that this can damage your health and well-being now, making it so much more difficult for you to “catch up” later.
Not Realizing You’re Not Taking Care of Yourself
For some family caregivers, there’s a disconnect when it comes to thinking about self-care. You may not even realize that you’re neglecting any part of your own care. This often happens when you’re constantly in crisis mode while helping your senior family member deal with her own health issues.
Feeling as if You Should Be Able to Do Everything
A great many family caregivers worry that they’re never doing enough. They can wind up with a superhero complex that keeps them trying to do everything all the time. If this describes you, then you really need to look into finding help to manage your elderly family member’s needs and take care of your own.
Not Having Time or Energy
Time and energy are two resources that a family caregiver often spends first on their elderly family member and then on their other family members. When you go down the priority list like that, you’re often at the bottom and there’s no time or energy left to worry about you. If you can make yourself a priority, however, you’ll be able to care better for everyone on your list.
To sort through which of these reasons are plaguing you, try keeping a journal and freewriting about what comes up for you when you think about self-care. You’ll be able to spot patterns that let you make some changes for the better.
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring home care services in Rocklin, CA, or the surrounding areas please contact the caring staff at ApexCare®. Proudly Serving Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, Solano, San Joaquin & Stanislaus counties.
Call Today 877-916-9111