Caregiving Tips For Families
July 8, 2021
When your aging parents reach a point where they need extra help it’s an adjustment for everyone. The adult children need to learn how to balance the care that the parents need with not treating their parents like children. The parents need to learn how to accept help without seeing it as an attack on their independence. Everyone needs to make some changes in how they see their family members and how they relate to them. Elder care givers can help take the edge off and help families adjust to these new roles as everyone moves forward.
Caregiving means something different for each family. Some parents may need more care than others. And some adult children of aging parents will adapt more easily to their new role as a caregiver than others. Home care from professional elder care aides can do much more than just make sure that your senior parents are safe at home. They can help families communicate and help parents hang onto their routines while aging in place.
Some of the common elder care recommendations for adult children who are just transitioning into caring for aging parents are:
Stay Flexible
Everything you think you know will change many times. Sometimes it will feel like things are changing daily. Keep your expectations low and just go with the flow.
Don’t Fight For Control
Remember that your parents are adults. You are helping them through the aging process but you’re not raising them, they’re not your children. Don’t try to take control of every situation. Emergencies will happen, things will go in directions that are totally the opposite of what you expect, and you need to just relax and adapt.
Enjoy The Time You Have
There is no guarantee of how much time you will have left with your parents so make the most out of every minute you get to spend with them. Take pictures and videos of everything because someday you will be very glad you have those things.
Get Help
Help is out there, so take advantage of it. Get an elder care aide to help your parents with daily tasks so that you can focus on spending quality time with them. If you are stressed out talk to a counselor. If you’re struggling after a parent has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s or a serious illness like that find a support group. Help it out there. Find it and take advantage of it.
Give Yourself Permission To Grieve
It’s a tough thing to start taking care of an aging parent. It’s difficult to accept that they are getting older and that one day they won’t be there. If you have a parent that has dementia you may already be losing them a little more every day. It’s essential that you give yourself time and space to grieve and process all these big changes.
Taking care of your aging parents can be as rewarding as it is challenging. Just make sure that you are taking care of yourself too.
If you or your loved one is looking for Elder Care in Palo Alto, CA, please call Familiar Surroundings Home Care.
Santa Clara County: (408) 979-9990
San Mateo County: (650) 353-9777
Santa Cruz County: (831) 480-3990