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What Can Family Caregivers Do to Alleviate Stress from Caregiving?

Stress is an inevitable part of caregiving. But family caregivers can do more than they might think to reduce that stress and have a better experience.
Respite Care in Youngsville LA

Caregiving is a wonderful experience for families, but there is a lot of stress that comes along with it, too. Family caregivers have to balance a lot of other responsibilities with sometimes very little help. Taking care of themselves is something that many family caregivers set to the side, which can cause even more stress. Learning more about respite care and finding out how these professionals can help them is a great idea for family caregivers.

Look at the Full Situation and Assess Needs

Often family caregivers just dive in and tackle everything that needs to get handled. What that tends to look like is family caregivers putting out one fire after another. It’s a much better solution to start from looking at the full situation and assessing the senior’s needs as well as the family caregiver’s capabilities. From there, it’s easier to see where the gaps exist.

Get an Idea of the Available Support

Some families may have a lot of family members who can help out some, even if it’s only a little bit of help at a time. Other families don’t have that same support network built in. Family caregivers need to take a moment and look at what support currently exists. From there, it might be as simple as seeking support from home care services to help out as needed.

Check in with Seniors

When family caregivers want to just get it all done, they might skip some necessary steps, like asking seniors what they need and want. It’s really important for family caregivers to check in with aging adults and let them make as many decisions as possible about their care. It’s important for seniors to have a say in what happens, but they may not fully understand the stress that family caregivers are under.

Try to Stay Positive in the Face of Challenges

There are always going to be good days along with rougher days. Rolling with that flow helps to reduce stress. That doesn’t mean ignoring reality, of course, but it might mean taking a few minutes out of a rough day and just breathing for a little while. None of that is a sign of weakness and it could be what helps kick a bad mood before it affects other people.

Take Time Away

If family caregivers aren’t taking time away at all, that needs to change. No one can keep running in stressful situations without a break, including family caregivers. Respite care can step in and allow family caregivers to have the time away that they need so they can come back to daily life refreshed. The schedule for respite time may vary depending on a ton of different variables, too, so there’s no one right answer for how often to take respite time.

When stress is just left to build and build, everyone involved in the caregiving situation can end up suffering. Respite care ensures that family caregivers can take time away without any guilt or worry that seniors will need help that isn’t available.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Respite Care in Youngsville, LA, please contact the caring staff at BrightCare Homecare today. Call (337) 279-5466
BrightCare Homecare is a top provider of home care services in Lafayette, Youngsville, Broussard, New Iberia, Breaux Bridge, Carencro, Opelousas, Sunset, Crowley, Abbeville, Scott, Cecilia, Port Barre, Lota, and the surrounding areas.
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