Challenges to Understand When Caring for Seniors
By Greg Bechard
Caregiving is tough. If you are responsible for your aging parent and have a family of your own, it can be very stressful. You will find some aspects more manageable than others. Maybe you find taking your father to his doctor’s appointments easy but understanding his insistence to eat at the same burger place every Friday afternoon is hard. The aging process affects everyone differently. As your mother sees friends and family pass away, she may become more despondent. Dad may become ill more frequently. Handling these types of issues is challenging, but with the support of a professional, in-home caregiver, things can be much better for your loved one and you.
4 Challenges You May Face as a Caregiver
You will find some challenges creeping up as you manage your caregiving duties. Aging is an odd process. It takes a healthy individual and slowly relieves them of their abilities. Sometimes, it is the loss of hearing or vision. Other times, it is more severe, such as with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. In all cases, you will have to face these challenges with your senior citizen:
- Recognizing Mental Health Issues: Senior citizens struggle with many things. They lose their strength, stamina, and other senses. As they find themselves unable to do the things they used to, they may become discouraged. This poor mental health can also lead to depression. You need to understand that Mom will face different issues and need help.
- Encouraging Your Senior to Remain Socially Active: Isolation negatively impacts your dad’s health. Loneliness can result in other health issues, such as depression, infection, cognitive decline, and elevated blood pressure. It’s up to you to find ways to encourage Dad to get out and stay socially active.
- Being Sensitive to How Aging Affects Your Love One: Questions may surface as they grow older and lose their sense of independence. For example, what kinds of illnesses could Mom face? How is Dad handling the loss of his driver’s license? Aging impacts us all differently, and it helps if you can learn to be sensitive to that for your senior’s sake.
- Helping Your Senior Face Death and Loss: Death is inevitable. However, older people will feel the pains of loss more readily. Eventually, you will face the same issue as you see your mom or dad die. It’s vital to learn healthy ways to handle these challenges so that you can be of assistance to your loved one.
Get Respite Help with Home Instead
Caregiving duties that never end, can affect you mentally, physically, and emotionally. Yet, you know your responsibilities and forge on. You don’t have to face these challenges alone. The home care workers at Home Instead Kitchener-Waterloo, ON understand what you have to deal with. Our team is trained to support you and your aging parent with personalised home care services, including respite care, companionship, home help, and any other you may need. Please talk with us today about getting a break from your duties. We’re here to help!
Call us at (519) 571-1665 to schedule a no-obligation, in-home consultation. Learn more about the compassionate, quality senior care we deliver, every day, to families in Kitchener-Waterloo, Breslau, Conestogo, Elmira, St Jacobs, and surrounding areas.