Building up your support network as a caregiver takes time and effort. It also requires you to pay attention to the resources that are available for you as well as how those resources can help you to meet your needs.
List out Who You Can Count On
Something that can help is for you to realize just how much support you already have. You might just have more assistance in your corner than you thought. There are all sorts of types of support you might have, too. You might have friends and family who assist you with tasks when they can, you might get emotional support from a caregiver support group, and you might have help at work from employee assistance programs.
What Isn’t Working?
Often it can be easier to start your assessment with what isn’t working because that’s usually a lot more obvious for you. So, if you’re already aware that you feel overwhelmed because you have no one to talk to, that’s part of what isn’t working for you. Or you might have noticed that all those little errands keep adding up and are more and more difficult for you to manage on your own. All of these help you to see where you need help and what kind of help it should be.
What Do You Need?
By now you’ve got two lists. One is of people and resources that do help you and the other is of situations in which you need more help. You might see at a glance that one of the biggest problems you’re running into is that you’re not utilizing the resources you already have to their fullest extent. You might have family members who can take over some of those little errands for you, if only you’d let them know that’s where you need help.
This Is a Tool for You
The important thing to remember is that you’re building a support network that is a tool for you as a caregiver. This is something that can offer you both practical and emotional support if you build it properly. Use the help when you need it and ask for what you’re not getting.
This is an evolving process for you as a caregiver. Your needs and your senior’s needs are going to change over time. Reevaluating shouldn’t take nearly as long as you think, though, and you can add and remove resources as you need to.
Excerpt: Your support network could be one of your most important tools as a caregiver.
If you or an aging loved one needs a Caregiver in Sacramento, CA, remember Senior Home Care Services. Call us at (916) 514-7006 for more information.
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