Finding It Hard to Do It All? Arrange Home Care Services
As a family caregiver, you’re struggling. You feel like you’re in over your head, and you’re not sure what to do. You have to balance work, your kids, your partner, and your social life with your dad’s care and your need for “me time.” What do you do when it’s hard to do it all?
Ask for Help
Do you have family like brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.? Ask them if they can help out. If they have free time, they should assist as much as they can to lessen your load.
For families who are in another state, ask if they can help with some of the tasks like researching medication prices, insurance plans, etc. It helps you out and they’ll feel good knowing they have a role in your dad’s care.
Build a list of everything you help your dad with on a shared service like Google Drive. Add any upcoming appointments. When someone is free, they can look at the online schedule and note that they can help out on that day.
Prioritize Tasks
What are the essential tasks? Your dad’s meals, medication reminders, and medical appointments are things you cannot ignore. Those need to be at the top of the list. A daily walk, bill paying, and personal care are also important.
But, things like vacuuming the carpets won’t hurt much if you have to skip it. Washing dishes should be done each day, but it won’t hurt anything if you don’t make the beds every day.
Find Shortcuts
Find ways to simplify some of the tasks you need to do. For example, you are making dinner and realize that three other dinners that week require diced onions. Cut up all of the onion you need at the same time.
Your dad has a doctor’s appointment two days from now, and he usually shops for groceries on the weekend. Move up the weekend shopping trip and do it after his doctor’s appointment. If he needs prescription refills, get those at the same time.
Plan “Me Time”
“Me Time” is a term to describe the hour or so you spend by yourself doing something you enjoy. It’s the hour when no one else can bother you. It might be an hour lounging on your back deck in the sun while you read a book.
You might lock yourself in the bathroom and soak in a bubble bath for an hour. You could take a walk by yourself or with your dog, go hiking, or watch a movie. As long as it’s something you enjoy that helps you unwind, it counts.
Arrange Respite Care
Call a home care advisor and ask about respite care. It’s a branch of home care that provides you with the breaks you need each week. Take a day or two off for self-care and let home care aides tend to your dad for a few hours while you’re away.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Highland Park, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
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