Every day, caregivers give selflessly of themselves to help another person. Whether it’s your profession, you’re a spouse caring for a loved one or you’re a child caring for an aging parent, you are caregiving out of love and compassion, and we thank you for all you do to help people shine.
At Lifespark, our professional caregivers are honored to work side-by-side with families to serve their older loved ones.
For those who are caring for a loved one, we also know the toll it can take emotionally as you try to manage the tasks and challenges of balancing your own life with the demanding needs of caregiving. It’s important to remember to take time for yourself first, so you have the energy and internal spark to keep caregiving, because what you do does matter.
Here are a few tips from the Caregiver Action Network to keep your spark going, so you too can shine:
- Seek support from other caregivers–you are not alone!
- Take care of your own health so that you can be strong enough to take care of your loved one. On an airplane, the flight attendants instruct passengers to put the oxygen on themselves FIRST. The same advice holds for people who are caring for others.
- Accept offers of help and suggest specific things people can do to help you. One simple way is to create a list of everything you do and need to do. Then when someone asks how they can help, you can check your list. For example, it may be picking up the dry cleaning or running an errand.
- Learn how to communicate effectively with doctors.
- Take breaks often to give yourself respite. Schedule an hour or two every day, or take a full day every other week. You will return refreshed and energized.
- Watch for signs of depression, and don’t delay in getting professional help when you need it.
- Be open to new technologies that can help you care for your loved one.
- Organize medical information so it’s up to date and easy to find.
- Make sure legal documents are in order.
- Give yourself credit for doing the best you can in one of the toughest jobs there is!
During National Caregiver Month, we celebrate caregivers in all their roles and responsibilities, and we want to hear from you – what do you do for yourself to spark your life and the life of the person for whom you care?
Need additional tips on how to care for a loved one or need a little respite to help you? Contact our Lifesprk Navigation for options to help you and your loved one at 952-345-8770, or email us. Happy National Caregivers Month! Caregive On!
