La Jolla Senior Care News

Tips for Reducing Your Stress as a Distance Caregiver

Senior Care in Pacific Beach CA: There are several ways that caring for an aging parent from a distance can be more stressful than a conventional caregiver relationship. When you are caring for your parent from a distance, it is not as easy for you to monitor their condition on a regular basis.
Senior Care in Pacific Beach CA: Caregiver Stress
Senior Care in Pacific Beach CA: Caregiver Stress

There are several ways that caring for an aging parent from a distance can be more stressful than a conventional caregiver relationship. When you are caring for your parent from a distance, it is not as easy for you to monitor their condition, or adjust your care routine to meet their needs on a regular basis. You may also feel as though your parent doesn’t experience enough acknowledgment, companionship, or support because you are not able to be there in the home with them on a regular basis. This stress can be very difficult for you, possibly having a negative impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being, and even negatively affect the quality of the care you give them.

Use these tips to help you reduce your stress when you are caring for your parent from a distance:

-Create a care team early. Don’t go into this role thinking you are going to be able to handle it completely on your own. As soon as you start caring for your parent, or as soon as you live at a distance from them, build a care team. Knowing you have the extra help will immediately ease your stress.

-Consider senior care. A senior home care services provider can handle the care your parent needs when you are unable to do it. They can also act as a valuable source of companionship and support to protect their mental and emotional health as they age in place.

-Schedule phone calls. Life can get busy, and that can make it easy for you to lose touch with your parent. Before you know it, a few days can go by without you talking to them. When you realize this, you may feel panicked, guilty, and like you have failed as a caregiver. Save yourself this worry by scheduling phone calls so you call them at the same time every day. This lets you stay in touch with your parent, keep up-to-date on their condition and needs, and stay connected.

-Plan a visit. It may not be possible for you to be with your parent frequently but still plan a visit for sometime in the future. Just having a visit in place can help you to feel more anchored in your care efforts, and ease worries that you are not caring for them as well as they deserve. It gives you something to look forward to and also ensures you can evaluate their needs when you are there.

 

 

Many family caregivers feel guilty when considering accepting extra help when caring for their elderly adults.
It is a common misconception that taking time for themselves or asking others to handle some of the care tasks for their aging parent means they are not a good family caregiver, they don’t want to take care of their parents, or that they don’t care about their parents quality of life and well-being. This is absolutely not the case.
As a family caregiver, your top priority is making sure your senior has exactly what they need on a regular basis. Senior care can help you achieve this. Through the services of a senior home care provider, you can feel confident your senior has access to the type of care they need to manage their individual challenges and limitations.
By giving them access to this type of care and assistance on a regular basis, you give your parent the opportunity to maintain their independence, seek out more activity and engagement in the world around them, and maintain their highest quality of life. This not only gives you a greater peace of mind, but also is a meaningful way to show your parents how much you love them, and the importance you place on their health and well-being, both physical and emotional.

 

For more information about hiring a Senior Care in Pacific Beach CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Brittnei Salerno

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