5 New Year’s Resolutions for Caregivers

If you care for a senior loved one, then there’s no doubt that your plate is full both mentally and physically. So it’s a perfect time to ensure you are taking care of yourself just as well as you are taking care of your loved one. That’s why we want to suggest some new year’s resolutions aimed specifically toward caregivers.

 

5 Caregiver Resolutions

  1. I will take care of my own health. When you're a caregiver, it's easy to neglect your own health needs as you prioritize someone else's needs. Still, if you don't care for your own health, you can't help someone else effectively. Make this the year that you will schedule and maintain check-up appointments to ensure your health is in order. Aim to eat healthily, get enough sleep, and get enough exercise. If you've fallen behind in all of these areas, it's OK to start with small steps. Focus on getting better in one area—for instance, getting more sleep—and then you can improve on the others afterward. 
  2. I will ask for help when needed. Do you find it hard to ask others for help? You’re not alone. Many caregivers are the same way. However, shouldering the burden of caregiving on your own will only add to your stress. Instead, tap into help from friends or family members who want to assist, or go ahead and ask them for help. If you can afford it, find an aide or other professional caregiver to step in and perform certain tasks. Companies like Secure Aging can help you select and manage the proper care for your loved one. 
  3. I will find more time to do something I enjoy. This may take some discipline. If you already try to handle all or almost all of caregiving tasks on your own, then making time for yourself a priority is surely low on your to-do list. Yet much like the health-related resolution, time for something you enjoy will benefit both your physical and mental health. Resolve to have at least one time during the week where you can do something you enjoy, be it meeting a friend for lunch or coffee, watching a movie with family, taking a walk at a local park, etc. 
  4. I will aim to be grateful. As you know, caregiving can have some rough, stressful moments. However, there are blessed moments, too, whether it’s the joy of knowing how you are helping your loved one, completing a caregiving task well, or learning something about how the healthcare system works so you can apply that knowledge in the future. Try to reflect regularly on things you are grateful for as part of your caregiving experience. 
  5. I will find one way to make my loved one’s life easier. What is a project for your senior loved one that you’ve wanted to do but maybe haven’t been able to handle yet? It could be organizing a part of their living space, handling some legal or financial paperwork, or creating lists of their medications or doctors’ names and contact information to make healthcare tasks easier. If it’s not a task you can handle yourself, see if you can find a trusted professional to handle it. If that’s not an option, maybe you and your family member or friend with skills related to the task can help.

Call Secure Aging to Find Out How We Can Help Seniors With Care Management

At Secure Aging in Bradenton, we transform the weight of the world into a sigh of relief for our senior clients and their concerned family members. The mission of Secure Aging is to protect and preserve our client's independence and dignity through careful and thoughtful financial and care management. As our client's age, it is their desire to remain independent and age with dignity. Our services protect our clients from talented con artists looking to exploit and deplete the financial resources of our vulnerable seniors. Secure Aging helps families in Manatee County and Sarasota County and in and around the communities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Myakka City, Palmetto, Parrish, and Sarasota. Call us at 941-761-9338, or visit us online at www.secureaging.com.

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