Are your senior parents in need of help to ensure safety at home? Are you also attempting to juggle looking after children and family at home? If so, you are part of the sandwich generation – a demographic of people, for the most part in their 30s and 40s, who are now responsible for raising their own children and providing care for their aging parents. The to-do lists of the sandwich generation caregivers are loaded. They not only work full–time, but they are also taking their children to and from school, after-school activities and maintaining household tasks on top of their caregiving obligations. There are strategies to assist caregivers, though, and the first step is getting educated on how to make the circumstances more manageable.
At the risk of adding more tasks to your already overflowing plate, think about building in these items to your to-do list:
Schedule a family meeting.
Talk through the various caregiving jobs that need to be performed each day or week. Set common expectations for how these tasks will be accomplished.
Get the facts and avoid surprises.
Caregivers should communicate with their parents about how they’re managing from a financial perspective, what their desires are for long-term care, and what plans they have made if they become ill or disabled.
Ask for assistance.
This is often the most difficult thing for a family caregiver to do, but it is without question the most necessary. You can’t do everything alone, and that is OK! Connect with resources including your local Area Agency on Aging, a hospital social worker, a healthcare provider, or a religious organization. You may also want to contact a local aging care company, like Stay Home Care, to give yourself a break while making certain your loved one is well cared for.
Most importantly, bear in mind that you don’t ever have to go it alone. Stay Home Care ‘s in-home care services can help give you the opportunity you need to relax and recuperate so you don’t experience sandwich generation caregiver burnout. Whether the need is for just a couple of hours each week, full-time, live-in care, or just about anything in between, our trained and experienced care staff can offer help with a broad range of home care needs: personal care, meal preparation, light housework, running errands, transportation, or simply friendly companionship to participate in enjoyable conversations and pastimes.
Email or call us today at 615-964-7726 to discover more about our senior care in Brentwood, TN and the surrounding areas, and to find out how we can assist you and your family. For a full list of all of the communities we serve, please visit this page of our website.