When Caring for a Friend or Family Member Becomes Too Much

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When a loved one is reaching the point of life where they need full-time care, you might think you can do it all yourself. While you may be able to for a period, circumstances could worsen and the task may become too much. And while taking care of loved ones is important, it is also equally important to take care of yourself. Indeed, fully-supporting someone can take a toll physically, financially, and emotionally.

It’s important to know that if your care responsibilities becomes too much that you have options. And while the decision is an extremely difficult one to make, and you want what’s best for the loved ones in your life, you sometimes have to take a step back and let a dedicated, professional caretaker step in. In this article we explore some of the choices you have when looking to supplement or fully outsource your care responsibilities when the task of primary caregiver becomes overwhelming.

Respite Care

To start, respite care is an excellent option if you are still planning to take on some or most of the primary caregiving work yourself. Put simply, respite care is short-term care partner that steps up to fill the role when you can’t be there. You can hire respite caregivers for a single day, a week, a month, or even more than that depending on your unique situation.

This type of care can be helpful if you’re looking to take a break, have to go out of town, or want to see how your family member or friend responds to third party caregivers occupying their space. Respite care can be provided in your home or at a dedicated assisted living or skilled nursing facility. Some services or facilities even may require a minimum commitment or timeframe to make it worth their while. Be sure to do your research on any facility or company to ensure that their reputation and track record is up to snuff!

In-Home Caregiver

An increasingly popular option, in-home caregivers provide non-clinical care and can help out even if you still plan on being there. Depending on the care agency and the price point, in-home caregivers typically will take on a whole slew of responsibilities essential to keeping your loved one, their space, and their state of affairs in order. Some of the most popular tasks for in-home caregivers include:

• House cleaning
• Meal prep
• Grocery shopping or errand running
• Transportation
• Taking the subject on walks or assisting with other physical activity
• Overnight care and supervision
• Dressing
• Personal hygiene
• Using the restroom

Keep in mind that in-home caregivers are not medical professionals. If you or your loved one need formal medical assistance or advice you will need to contact a licensed medical provider such as an in-home nurse or physician’s office for tailored, expert care plans and decision making.

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Assisted Living

If respite care or in-home caregiving options do not work, assisted living would be the next step beyond. Often times, based on time commitments and burnout, this option may become unavoidable. Placing your loved one in an assisted living facility is not an easy decision because means watching them give up their home and their independence.

What is assisted living, exactly? Assisted living is exactly what it sounds like. It is help with anything and everything that the person may need to live safely, cleanly, and securely. When your elderly friend or family member moves in to an assisted living facility they will have 24/7 care and supervision. Many of these homes specialize caring for individuals with chronic or uncurable conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, as well as general debility.

Assisted living facilities will keep your loved one safe, clean, well-fed, administer medications, and even help facilitate formal medical care with you and a visiting physician. Even more, many an assisted living facilities have tiers of living services based on the level of care required. Some communities, for example, have full apartments where only supplemental services are provided, while others are supervised and cared for throughout the day and night.

Final Thoughts

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To sum it up, taking the next step in senior care is always difficult. You may find yourself trying to say you can keep doing it, but at a certain point, the mental and physical burdens can become too much. Whether you decide on respite, in-home, or assisted living facilities, make sure to always do your homework, ask hard questions, and shop around.

Suncrest Senior Living

This information was provided by Suncrest Senior Living. Suncrest offers memory care and assisted living care with several home-based locations in Southeast Michigan.

Interested in learning more about Suncrest Senior Living? Contact Suncrest online, or call at (248) 207-5378.