New Year’s resolutions: we love to create them, and can’t help but break them. Perhaps you’ve been motivated to eat better, lose that certain number of pounds, quit a bad habit, or go to the gym more often; but life has a habit of disrupting our best motives, particularly for senior home caregivers.
To make a real distinction in quality of life for both yourself and the senior for whom you offer care, and to make a New Year’s resolution you’ll actually want to adhere to in the months and years to come, try one of these suggestions:
- Be grateful – to yourself. Recognize the tremendous selflessness required in being a senior home caregiver, and make a habit of treating yourself to regular, small rewards as a thank-you: a favorite treat from the ice cream shop, dinner ordered in, the latest book from your favorite author, fresh cut flowers, etc.
- Take time for self-care. Pre-flight emergency instructions stress the requirement to make sure your oxygen mask is on before assisting somebody else, and this proves just as true on land as in the air. Caring for yourself allows you to provide the best quality care for your loved one. So keep regular medical checkups, get lots of rest, and ensure you’re eating a balanced diet.
- Seek out support. Finding a support group for family caregivers, especially one for a condition that is impacting your loved one, such as Alzheimer’s disease, lets you understand you’re not alone. The Internet provides a wide variety of resources for online support groups if attending in-person meetings is hard.
- Let your emotions out. Providing care for somebody else is often wrought with feelings from fear to anger to frustration to helplessness. It’s important to find a safe release for these emotions that is productive. You might try journaling or talking with a friend or counselor, for example.
- Request help. No man – or caregiver – is an island, and you can find plenty of willing friends, neighbors, and other family members who would like to provide assistance, if only they were asked. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness, to accept help.
Best Senior Home Care in New York can provide professional, compassionate senior home caregivers for the new year. We provide Manhattan home health aid services that can give family caregivers some much needed time off and help with:
- Personal care, such as bathing and dressing
- House care, such as light housework and washing
- Companion care, including engaging in conversation, playing cards and games, and participating in hobbies and interests
- And more, according to each senior’s specific needs
We invite you to call us at 917-880-9373 or contact us online for a free in-home consultation to explore how we can share the care journey with you – and to help keep your resolution to provide the best care for your senior loved one.