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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.
- I resolve to reach out for help and support when needed, and I will accept that help when it is offered to me.
- I will allow myself to say “no” to requests that take too much from my personal time, health, and well-being.
- I will prioritize my own health (physical and mental), attending all medical checkups and appointments.
- 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.
- I will keep an eye on my energy level, not pushing myself to the point of exhaustion, depression, or burnout.