Family caregivers should start off the upcoming year with resolutions that simplify their lives, especially their caregiving duties. These resolutions should provide them with mental, physical, and emotional health benefits. Take a look at some of the top New Year’s resolutions family caregivers can make.
1. Ask for Help
Asking for help doesn’t mean you are failing when it comes to being a family caregiver. It means you realize receiving assistance gives you time to relax, regroup, and focus on things outside of your caregiving duties, which can be good for your mental and emotional health. Getting help allows you to take time off to relax and recharge, which can prevent serious health issues like exhaustion.
If you are the primary family caregiver for an elderly loved one and need additional assistance providing high-quality in-home care, Oakville Home Care Assistance can help. We are a leading home care agency committed to changing the way seniors age.
2. Get Educated
Many family caregivers are thrown into the job involuntarily, and often they have little or no experience in this area. However, caregivers can make it a priority to get educated on their loved one’s health. Understanding how to simplify the caregiving process can reduce the amount of stress you experience and decrease the risk of a stroke, heart attack, and other serious health issues.
3. Join a Support Group
Joining a caregiver support group gives you people to vent to and lean on. You can also listen to other family caregivers and gather tips to use in the future. Having a support network can reduce stress, depression, and other negative emotions.
4. Visit the Doctor
It can become easy to put your health on hold while caring for an elderly loved one. However, ignoring your health could lead to serious consequences. By visiting the doctor on a regular basis, you can reduce your risk of infections, various types of cancer, and other health conditions.
Professional respite care is another option you can consider. In Oakville, Ontario, respite care is a great help to many families. Caring for a senior loved one can be overwhelming at times, which puts family caregivers at risk for burnout. However, an in-home caregiver can take over your loved one’s care, allowing you the time you need to focus on your own health, maintain a full-time job, or care for other members of your family.
5. Eat Healthy and Exercise Regularly
It is important to make time for meal prep and physical activities. If you ignore your own health and wellbeing, you may find it difficult to care for your loved one. However, taking the time to eat healthy meals and exercise on a regular basis can help you maintain good cardiovascular health, prevent obesity, and lower stress, which could lead to a higher quality of life.
6. Stay Social
Maintaining a social life outside of your caregiving duties can help you find the balance every family caregiver needs. Socializing can boost your mood, reduce the risk of isolation, and allow your body to combat everyday stress. Staying social gives you a chance to regroup and do things that make you happy, which can reduce the risk of depression, regret, and anger.
7. Praise Yourself for Your Hard Work
If no one else thanks you for your hard work, you can do it yourself. Praise yourself out loud, and do it often. Even if you simply think about all the good you have done for your loved one instead of saying it aloud, you can still boost your mental and emotional wellbeing.
One of the many reasons family caregivers feel stressed and burned out at the end of every calendar year is because they try to manage all caregiving tasks alone. This coming year, make it a point to delegate your caregiving duties to others so you have a chance to focus on your own health and wellbeing. Families who need additional assistance caring for an elderly loved one should consider hiring a professional elderly caregiver. Oakville, Ontario, seniors and their families trust in Home Care Assistance to provide high-quality in-home care on an as-needed basis. Our caregivers take pride in helping seniors remain healthy while promoting their quality of life. To avail high-quality in-home care for your aging loved one, call us at (905) 337-1200 today.