March 12, 2020
Manage emotions in caregiving effectively with these tips.
If you are feeling somewhat overwhelmed in your role as caregiver, take heart; you are in good company. Providing help for a senior loved one is probably one of the most complex roles we can hold: highly gratifying on the one hand, while simultaneously frustrating and ever-evolving, regularly bringing about feelings of uncertainty about whether we are up to the challenge and providing the most effective care.
It’s why a lot of people struggle with how to effectively manage emotions in caregiving, such as:
- Guilt: You might feel as if you are not doing as much as you can to help your loved one, that you are selfish for seeking time away to yourself, or that you’re ill-prepared to provide the assistance a senior loved one needs.
- Helplessness: There are several circumstances when you simply can’t solve the issues your parent is dealing with.
- Anger or frustration: This could be directed at yourself, other loved ones who seem as though they are not doing their fair share, and even at your older parent for causing you to be in this situation.
- Resentment: Extremely common when being a caregiver for an individual who hurt or betrayed you in the past, it is easy for those feelings to resurface when that individual is now in your care.
- Hopelessness: When a senior loved one faces a difficult diagnosis, for example, a chronic or terminal condition, feelings of hopelessness can settle in that may bring on despondency or depression.
Recognizing these feelings, and accepting that they are absolutely normal, is a good place to begin. These tips can also help:
- Share how you feel. Find a reliable friend, family member, or professional therapist to vent to, a person who can offer a new perspective and help you to adjust your thinking to a more positive slant.
- Give some thought to the advice you would offer a good friend. Sometimes, stepping out of your situation and picturing how you would respond to some other person going through these feelings could offer invaluable insight. Provide the same encouragement you would offer to another to yourself.
- Find a care partner. Working with a knowledgeable care provider, like Continuum, enables you to achieve a healthy life balance – an element that is vital to every caregiver.
If you need help at home in Clayton or the surrounding areas, contact our highly trained, experienced, and compassionate care team by calling (314) 863-9912, and let us walk alongside you with the top quality, personalized care services your loved one deserves – enabling you to take much-needed time for self-care. We’re always available to answer any questions you have, and to provide helpful resources specific to the challenges you’re facing. Reach out to us today to learn more about our top-rated senior in home care in Clayton and the surrounding areas and to schedule a no-cost in-home consultation.