Caring For A Disabled Loved One At Home

As a family caregiver, you have a slew of new tasks to deal with. Listed below are strategies for locating help, overcoming obstacles, and making looking after your loved one a more rewarding experience.

Growing numbers of people are finding themselves in the position of caring for a loved one at home as life expectancies rise, medical treatments improve, and the number of people living with chronic sickness and disability continues to rise.

Whether you are caring for an aged parent, a physically disabled spouse, or a child suffering from a medical or mental condition, providing care for a family member in need is an act of altruism, love, and commitment on your part. Day after day, you provide your loved one with your care and attention, enhancing their quality of life even if they are unable to voice their appreciation for your efforts. 

Acknowledge your feelings

Looking after someone can elicit a wide range of challenging feelings, including anger, anxiety, resentment, guilt, helplessness, and grief, among other things. It is critical to recognize and acknowledge your feelings, both positive and negative, as they arise. Do not be too hard on yourself if you have concerns or reservations. Having these feelings does not imply that you do not care about your family member; rather, it indicates that you are a human being.

Make sure that you have a good support network

Even if you are the primary carer for your loved one, you will not be able to handle everything on your own. Particularly important is the fact that you are providing care from a distance.  You will require assistance from friends, siblings, and other family members, as well as from healthcare experts to get through this period. If you do not get the help you need, you will run out of steam after a while, which will make it difficult for you to continue providing care to others.

However, before you can seek assistance, you must first have a clear grasp of the needs of your family member. Take some time to make a detailed list of all of the caring duties that will be required, being as descriptive as possible. Then determine which activities you are capable of engaging in – be realistic as to the time you can give and what you are physically and emotionally able to do.  The remaining tasks on your list are the ones that you will need to enlist the assistance of others to complete. It might be that they could clean the house or make appointments, order cure catheters or pick up groceries from the store to make life much easier and more accessible. 

Know when to ask for professional help

In any caring partnership, however, there may come a moment when outside assistance is required in order to maintain a high level of care. This assistance may only be required on a short basis, or it may be absolutely necessary in order to keep your loved one in his or her home. When that time comes, even a basic understanding of the various facets of home care will go a long way toward helping you feel more in command.