Your mom can’t handle daily activities of living alone. You’ve decided to move her into your house. Have you planned for your own needs? Do you know how this will affect everyone in your home?
Caring for an aging parent is a struggle both emotionally and physically. In a 2015 AARP report, 2 out 10 family caregivers reported helping an aging family member has worsened their health. While you’re offering your mom help, have you thought about yourself? Here are things you need to do to make sure you don’t burn out.
Talk to Your Boss.
Finances tend to dictate everything, but the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) enables you to take up to 12 weeks to care for your mom. This gives you time to make sure your mom is cared for while you arrange regular home care and get your mom acclimated to your home. During those 12 weeks, your job is secure. There are restrictions to this, such as that you’ve worked 1,250 or more hours in the past year, so talk to your human resources department to see if you qualify.
Make Sure You Each Have a Private Retreat.
Is there space where you can go and spend time alone when things get a bit overwhelming? Does your mom have a private space of her own? Make sure you each have a place to go to to get away for a few minutes. Moving another family member into your home can make it seem crowded, so a private area is essential to keep from feeling overwhelmed.
Keep a Dry Erase Board Calendar for Everyone to Access.
As your mom moves in, you’ll need to adjust the groceries you purchase. Your mom’s appointments need to be added to your to-do list. A dry-erase board is a handy way to keep track of everything. Each family member can be assigned a different color to make it easy to track who needs a ride or needs something at the store. From there, you can group rides and errands to take care of multiple people at the same time.
Enlist the Help of Family Members and Friends.
It’s tough to offer all of your mom’s care by yourself. Talk to family members and friends to see if anyone can help out for an hour or two each week. Those breaks will help you greatly as you all adjust to your new living arrangements.
Hire Caregivers to Help.
Don’t think you have to go it alone. Caregivers are an essential part of a home care plan. A caregiver helps your mom with medication reminders, meals, and other daily activities of living. You’ll be able to focus on your own needs without sacrificing your mom’s care. Call home care services to discuss interviewing possible caregivers today.
If you or an aging loved one needs caregiver services in Fair Oaks, CA, remember Senior Home Care Services. Call us at (916) 514-7006 for more information.
Sources:
http://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2015_CaregivingintheUS_Final-Report-June-4_WEB.pdf
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