Providing care, especially to a family member, is such a lofty job. Despite what others may think, serving your parents or grandparents is very rewarding and fulfilling. But of course, it’s not all bed of roses. There will indeed be days when you feel like giving up or when you feel like you have served them enough. And there will be a lot of those days.
So to help you not burn-out yourself, we share with you these quick tips on how to lighten up your task as a primary caregiver to a senior or recovering loved one.
Design your home to be patient-friendly.
If you are providing home care, you would surely be at home most of the time. To lessen your worry on the possibility of falling, and so that you need not follow your patient everywhere and every time, you may re-organize your home and have it safer for them to walk around. You can even have your place assessed by a health care professional so that you get valuable recommendations on where to properly and safely place your furniture and other equipment.
Do your grocery shopping and other errands once a week.
If you are alone with the patient and he needs close monitoring, it is best that you go out of the house as seldom as possible. Doing the grocery shopping, and running other errands should be done at least once a week. This way, you need not harass yourself many times in a week, managing your time and your tasks. You may ask another family member to look after your patient or get respite care so you can have someone able to look after him while you are gone.
Cook several dishes ahead of time, when you get the time.
Cooking and preparing meals can take a lot of time. So to be efficient, you may cook dishes good for two to three days in one setting and leave them pre-cooked in the fridge. This way, you can make use of lengthy afternoon nap times and save more time by just heating your pre-cooked meals as needed.
Hire people to do simple house tasks for you.
If you have a dog or a garden to take care of and attend to, you may hire neighborhood kids to walk the dog around or to mow your loan so you need not do it yourself. The time you get to save can be used to do other tasks which others cannot do for you.
Take some time for yourself.
Remember to always find time for yourself to rest. Sometimes we feel that everything becomes heavy when we take no rest for a long period of time. So when you can, go out and smell the roses.
Of course, there are reliable agencies providing healthcare staffing in Philadelphia. If you ever feel the need to look for somebody who can fill in for your place for some time, you can always call for their help. ATC (Around the Clock) Healthcare Services provides nurses and health aides for those who need to take a break from care providing, be it for a short-term or long-term.
For more information about our services, you may visit our website or call us at 215-592-7600.
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