Feeling Overloaded With Caring for a Loved One? These Tips Can Help!

If you’re feeling overloaded with caring for a loved one, we have three simple steps you can take to ease the strain.

If today’s to-dos seem like a lot more than you are able to possibly squeeze into 24 short hours, you are not alone! Family caregivers frequently are feeling overloaded with caring for a loved one and the daily required tasks: Personal care and hygiene. Planning and preparing meals. Medical appointments. Planning activities that are purposeful and enjoyable for the older adult. Shopping and other errands. Housework and laundry. And all of this is on top of meeting the requirements of your own spouse, children, household, and if there is any time left over, yourself!

We invite you to hit the pause button for just a minute, take a deep breath, and put into action these tried-and-true time management pointers to greatly help each day run more smoothly.

• Prioritize. Start the day by prioritizing tasks into categories, such as what must be done today, what you’d like to complete today, and what can wait until another day. This permits you to dedicate your full attention to the most important needs and put aside the rest.

• Define. With your list of duties for the day in hand, decide who is best suited to handle them. You may be the best person to help with showering and getting ready for the day, while a neighbor might be able to take them to the physician and out for lunch afterwards.

• Implement. The urge to put things off may be a strong one to overcome! Now that you have a plan set up for your day, jump in and accomplish the tasks that need your attention. Nevertheless, don’t forget that self-care should always be a high priority. Surround yourself with a strong support system that enables you enough time away  to ensure your own health is never being compromised.

Through it all, remind yourself that the work you’re doing is exceptionally important. It’s very easy to get swept up with the daily details and lose sight of the big picture and the fact that everything you do for the person you love is producing a positive and lasting impact.

Keeping that in mind, allow yourself some grace on the days when things do not go as scheduled, as will definitely be the case every now and then! When a crisis or setback arises and your to-dos are left undone, recognize that tomorrow is a new day and the tasks will be there whenever you are prepared to deal with them again.

At Hired Hands Homecare, our caregivers are fully trained, experienced, and ready to assist you in meeting all of a senior family member’s needs – permitting you the time away you need for a balanced and healthy life. Reach out to us at (866) 940-4343 to learn more about our services in Novato, Pleasanton, Santa Rosa, and the surrounding areas, and to schedule your free in-home consultation.