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Take Care of Your Loved One and Yourself

Family caregivers try their best to assist their loved one. They want their loved one to have the best care possible and that usually leads to the family caregiver to put a lot of effort into taking care of their aging loved ones. As noble as it may seem, family caregivers often find themselves unprepared to provide adequate care as their loved ones age and their health declines. As this continues, it puts a strain on the family caregiver as well as their loved one. To help correct this, Visiting Angels Punta Gorda provides a list of ways a family caregiver can help themselves.

One of the first things you can do is to find a support group. Support groups are great ways to find resources on providing care as well as to find people with similar situations. Support groups usually meet at hospitals, libraries, or at churches.

senior citizen's handsAccepting help from others is one of the hardest we can do - especially when we are taking care of an aging loved one. When we take on too much, we ultimately hurt ourselves in process. Instead, it's better to admit that we need help. You can either ask a family member or hire a professional caregiver to provide respite.

Establishing healthy boundaries helps ensure that while you are  taking care of your loved one, you are also taking care of yourself. It's easy to accept to be a caregiver when your loved one needs help here and there. But as they age, their needs become far more frequent and more demanding. When caregivers have a hard time saying "no", it often leads to boundaries being blurred. It's important to know your limits and ask for help when you need it.

Being able to give yourself permission to step away from taking care of your loved one. Everyone deserves some time away for themselves, and you, as a caregiver, are no exception. Being a family caregiver is a demanding task and is no easy feat. Taking some time off allows you to recharge. Ask other family members or an in-home agency to step in while you take time off.

While it is important to take care of an aging loved one, it is equally as important to take care of yourself. If you're not in your best shape, how will you be able to provide the care your loved one needs? To read the full article, visit: https://www.visitingangels.com/puntagorda/taking-care-of-the-caregiver-weekly-message_2288.

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