When you envision the typical caregiver for an older adult, who comes to mind?
Although many of us may think of females, 40% of caregivers are male, according to AARP. Male caregivers may face some initial challenges:
- They may not feel as comfortable with hands-on personal care with the older adult in their life.
- They may tend to hold in the emotions that they feel while caregiving, be it stress, frustration, or impatience. This can easily lead to burnout.
- They may feel overwhelmed about taking on the caregiving role if also working to support a family.
Of course, some female caregivers also may face these same challenges. And no matter what gender, caregiving is often a role a person takes on unexpectedly.
If you’re a male caregiver looking to better cope with the assistance you’re providing for the older adult in your life, here are a few tips:
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Educate yourself.
No one is born knowing about dementia, chronic illness, or whatever it is that ails the older adult in your life. Spend time reading, watching videos, attending a webinar/seminar, or educating yourself in some form so you can better understand what your loved one is going through. You may pick up some caregiving tips along the way.
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Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
You know the stereotype of men never asking for directions? You can apply it to caregiving. It can be tempting to never ask for help while you handle caregiving, but you may just end up stressed and frustrated. Think of two or three concrete ways that loved ones around you (such as partners or other family members or good friends) can assist. Let them know.
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Focus on two or three main tasks each day.
A caregiver’s list is usually longer than what you can achieve on a given day. Instead of feeling like you must tackle it all, pick two or three tasks that you must get done. If you can accomplish those, it’s a win.
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Evaluate where you can ask for paid help.
There may be aspects of caregiving with which you feel less comfortable. That’s OK and completely normal. Take a look at your budget to see what you can afford to delegate to professionals. For example, home care assistants can help with home care and hygiene tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, or helping with bathing.
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Take some time for you.
Caregiving is frustrating, rewarding, joyful, and hard, all often on the same day. Make some time for yourself to do things that you enjoy so you can relieve stress and stay clear-headed and focused on your caregiving the rest of the time.
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 clients 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.
