Five Ways You Can Reduce Your Stress as a Family Caregiver

The Holidays can be a stressful time. Crowds, traffic, and finances come to mind. So much to do with planning, shopping, decorating, cooking, covering all the bases to make sure everyone in the family is taken care of. Oh, add working and caregiving for your aging family member.

So, stress can be good and it can be bad. The difference is in how you handle it. The joy in your family’s eyes for all the work you did to make this holiday so special is very satisfying. It only comes around once a year. Good stress!

Filling the role as the primary caregiver for your aging family member. Very satisfying and is both good stress and bad stress. Don’t get me wrong, you want to be the one taking care of your family member, but realizing that your plate is fuller with the holiday can be overwhelming, tiring frustrating.

It is important to know that this is normal in this role, holiday or not. Considering you are going to be juggling your time and energy through this time it is important to recognize a few things.

• You might need some help. Consider asking a family member to relieve you for a few hours or more. This will give you time to catch your breath. If you don’t have a family member or friend to help you consider asking for outside help like reaching out to us. An Aging Life Care Manager® who specializes in care options, we will work together to plan and carry out steps to lighten your load.
• Get organized. Be it your tasks needed for the holiday or the care tasks that your loved one requires. You are already doing this to some extent but for your sanity, take to the next level.
• Take some time for yourself by grabbing coffee with a friend, taking a nice long nap, or going for a long walk with deep breaths. Time for yourself can even include daydreaming and planning your spring vacation.
• Contact an Aging Life Care Manager®, on our team, for solutions to reduce your stress while caring for your aging family member. This solution will concentrate on your family member, while providing respite for you.
• Get true rest with respite care. Your aging family member may be paired with an adult daycare, may have an over night stay at a local assisted living facility, or you can bring in an in-home caregiver from an agency the Care Manager recommended to assist with meals, care, or companionship.

There are solutions for family caregivers. It is important that you recognize you will need a break and you will need to ask for help. Our team is a great resource for your loved one and you to maintain that healthy balance any time of year. Please give us a call at 877-337-0922 or email us at cassandra@infinitycaremanagers.com to find out how we can assist.