Caring about our loved ones may be challenging. It takes a lot of effort and love providing our aging parents or other relatives the care and attention that we want them to have. With time, taking care will require only more efforts, so it’s important to be aware of that and plan it all ahead. People always are forgetting, that caregivers need attention as well. 

 

We collected 4 popular mistakes caregivers usually do

 

  1. Not planning ahead 

Things won’t always be like today. You need to be prepared for every possible outcome and have a plan for all those cases. Thoroughly plan your finances, time, and try to prepare your elderly for that. This is extremely important for those who have chronic diseases - you need to have a plan “b”. This way when something happens, it will be easier to stay calm, when you have a plan. 

 

  1. Forgetting about caregiver needs

You are human and alive too - you need rest, attention, and care as well. Family caregivers usually are investing their time and efforts to help seniors, and when the amount of duties become overwhelming, caregivers start to sacrifice their free time. Less socializing, forgetting about your hobbies won’t make you any good. The lack of the tome for your own means increasing stress level, hence, nothing great for you - you can’t help your loved ones when you’re under pressure. 

 

  1. Treating aging parents like children

Yes, with age people need more attention and assistance, even with daily tasks. What is important to remember - they still are adults, so treat them like ones. Involve parents in decision making process, give them some free time alone. 

Make you sure you’re not addressing your seniors with patronizing voice or language, and simplified lexicon when there are no need for that. You might not even realize it, even if this seems as something obvious when present.

 

  1. Avoiding to ask for help

Caring about your elderly parents is tough. It involves daily assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, cleaning the house and doing minor repairs, doing laundry, shopping for groceries, preparing meals, getting to the doctors appointments. This list is not even half-full, still it’s already lots of tasks for one person. Do not hesitate to ask other family members for some help. Often caregivers are feeling guilty for asking for help or even feeling down. Please, remember that for everybody’s health you need to take care of yourself as well. So stay healthy, and be attentive to your feelings.