There is a good article in the October/November 2015 issue of NeurologyNow magazine about family caregivers accepting assistance by hiring home care aides. The key points of advice are:
* Manage your worries. The author notes that a family caregiver persevered through two sub-par home care aides until she found a third one she and her husband were comfortable with.
* Let go of guilt. A psychologist quoted in the article says: “I tell caregivers that guilt is a cul-de-sac; it doesn’t lead anywhere.”
* Allow yourself to feel relief. And, again – let go of guilt that you feel relief.
* Reach out for support. The article reports on a caregiver who went to a caregiver support group five years earlier and realized she wasn’t ready to share her situation openly with others. Then the caregiver started attending a support group when the time was right.
* Acknowledge loss. A psychologist notes that grief continues as the family caregiver loses more parts of their loved one.
* Recognize how you’ve grown. The author says: “For many people, caring for someone is deeply rewarding.”
* Recalibrate your role. “You may not be cooking meals or toileting the person [as outside help may be doing that], but that frees you up to be the advocate, case manager, and emotional support” for your family member,” says the psychologist.
* Consider your next chapter after the caregiving ends. Resume hobbies or reinvest in relationships that languished while you were caregiving.
Here’s a link to to the full article:
Happy reading!
Robin