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Thoughtful Resolutions That May Benefit a Senior Loved One

With the New Year coming up, it’s time to start thinking about our resolutions. If you have a senior loved one currently in hospice care in San Mateo and elsewhere, your resolutions may look a bit different than in years past. Instead of resolving to lose weight or manage money better, your resolutions may center around spending more time with your loved one.

For family caregivers, resolutions are especially important because they impact not just the caregiver but the senior as well. However, don’t get carried away with your resolutions. Keep them simple and practical. You may resolve to get eight solid hours of sleep a night so you can be in the best shape to care for your aging parent. That helps both of you and it’s not too hard to accomplish. Share your resolutions with your senior loved one and encourage them to do the same. Maintaining the care receiver’s autonomy and well-being, along with the caregiver’s, takes constant interaction and negotiation between both, says Psychology Today.

Resolutions to Ponder

Here’s a good place to start. You may want to recite these to yourself each morning so they stay top of mind.

  1. I resolve to reach out for help and support when needed, and I will accept that help when it is offered to me.
  2. I will allow myself to say “no” to requests that take too much from my personal time, health, and well-being.
  3. I will prioritize my own health (physical and mental), attending all medical checkups and appointments.
  4. I will remember that self-care is not selfish; rather, in taking care of myself, I can take the best possible care of my loved one.
  5. I will keep an eye on my energy level, not pushing myself to the point of exhaustion, depression, or burnout.

The work of caregiving is physically and emotionally demanding, sometimes taking more from you than you have to give. If you’ve been pushing yourself to the brink, becoming impatient or stressed out with those around you, or even the senior loved one you are taking care of, New Year’s is the perfect time to make resolutions that benefit you all. You may resolve to join a support group for adult children caring for their parents, for instance. Knowing others are going through the same as you are can be very comforting and uplifting. When you take time out for yourself, you come back to the caregiving task refreshed and rejuvenated.

Here are some more tips.

Talk and Listen

Keeping an open dialogue with yourself and your senior loved one is key. Talk to them, ask them questions, share your thoughts…then sit back and listen without interrupting. This is a great way to stay informed about what they’re going through, as well as their thoughts and concerns, plus it reassures your senior loved one that you truly care.

Pamper Yourself

As mentioned above, caregiving is a heroic endeavor, but you have to focus on taking care of yourself too. You’re no good to a loved one if you’re irritable, tired, or unhealthy. Resolve to get enough exercise and rest, to eat properly, and to take much-needed breaks through respite care. This way, you’ll have more energy to respond to your senior loved one and provide the complete care and dedication they require.

Accept Help

Many family caregivers are hesitant to ask for outside help. They don’t want to appear weak or come off like they can’t handle the task. But the truth is, accepting some help when you need it is just plain smart. When someone offers to help you out, whether with a grocery run or by spending a couple of hours with your loved one doing puzzles, accept it with grace and use the time to your advantage. Hiring in-home hospice care is another option that helps family caregivers get the respite they deserve. Plus, many caregiving duties in hospice are best left to professionals, especially when it comes to hygiene.

Talk to Someone

Meeting your girlfriend for a cup of coffee can certainly be helpful as a way to blow off steam. But sometimes you just want to talk to an impartial party where you can focus on YOU for an hour. That’s where a professional therapist comes in. This is a safe space to discuss your feelings of solitude, fatigue, frustration, and fears. Talking with someone who takes an objective point of view is exactly what you need to keep caregiver burnout at bay.
In the end, it’s important to balance your needs as the caregiver with those of your senior loved one. Don’t get so caught up in resolutions that you lose sight of your own needs and those of your family. Seek outside resources for assistance and respite care when you need it, and be sure to set priorities and boundaries that allow you to provide quality care for your loved one while ensuring there’s still time, patience and energy left over for yourself, your children, and your spouse, points out AgingCare.

Contact Pathways Home Health and Hospice

We would be happy to give you more information on our hospice care programs or our bereavement services when you contact us at 888-978-1306. We wish you all a happy holiday and healthy New Year!