You’re a family caregiver. Your friends may not get how stressful it is. You’re wearing yourself out trying to balance senior care with household maintenance and your job. You need to stop everything and do this one thing right now. Self-care is crucial.
Senior Care in Hollywood FL: Self-Care
What is Self-Care?
Self-care is the knowledge that you must come first. While others may be depending on you, you can’t help if you’re emotionally and physically drained. Self-care is essential to your emotional, mental, and physical health.
How you practice self-care is really up to you. For some people, a daily walk on a beach or out in the woods is the best way to relax. Some do better when they play a vigorous game of tennis or ride a horse. Others head to yoga classes or write journal entries to de-stress.
Ignoring Self-Care Has Great Consequences.
After his mom died, Tony realized just how much his dad depended on her. His dad was unable to cook a meal. He needed someone to guide him while driving as he had no sense of direction. He’d never done laundry or run the dishwasher. Without his wife, Tony’s dad was lost.
Soon, Tony was stopping by each day after work. He’d cook dinner for the two of them. Tony would often have to help his dad use the washing machine. He did the same with the dishwasher.
Tony would drive his dad to the store each weekend, help him create a shopping list, and put items away when they were back at the family home. As the only child, Tony had no one to rely on.
After months of helping out, Tony found the balance of a full-time job, family caregiving, and trying to maintain his own home was too much. He had a panic attack in the middle of an office meeting and was taken to the emergency room. There, Tony learned he needed to manage his stress. His doctor told him to research self-care and arranged a visit with a therapist.
Partner Respite Care With Self-Care.
The key is to make sure you have time to yourself. If you’re the only caregiver, you may feel helpless. You might not realize there is a way to make sure your parent has the help that’s needed without you being there. It’s time to look at respite care services.
Respite care is one of the many services a senior care agency can arrange. While you take a break from family caregiving, a caregiver arrives to fill your shoes. You might have a break for an hour or two or a few days a week. You choose the schedule.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering in-home senior care in Hollywood, FL, please contact the caring staff at IDS In-Home Care today. Providing In-Home Care Services in Broward County: 954-476-5353 and Palm Beach County: 561-988-8483
Jeff Stern
Owner at IDS In-Home Care
Jeff Stern is the Owner at IDS In-Home Care.
IDS In-Home Care stands for Independence, Dignity & Security, so naturally our mission is to help our clients achieve a life of Independence and Dignity in the Security of their own homes.Posted in Caregiver Stress, Senior Care in Hollywood FL and tagged Senior Care in Hollywood FL
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