For families whose elderly members need a little extra attention, caregiving can be rewarding, a labor of love that can be life changing in more than one way.
According to AARP, an estimated 39.8 million Americans cared for an elderly adult. (2015) About 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the prior 12 months.
As of 2014, more than 15 million individuals has assumed the role of caregiver for a family member who has Alzheimer's Disease.
Many family caregivers juggle home and work, often shouldering the financial as well and physical tasks of caregiving.
Here are a few tips to ensure that you remember to relax and take care of yourself when you can.
1. Take care of yourself first. If you are not healthy, you won't be able to provide the level of care you want to provide.
2. Find respite care when needed. You can't do everything for everyone all of the time. When you need a break, respite care may be available. If you're not yet interested in respite care, accept help when family members offer.
3. Build a support network including friends, family and other caregivers. Having individuals with a variety of experiences in your life, including those who are also family caregivers can help you to see solutions to issues you're experiencing and can help to reduce your stress levels as you connect and build relationships.
Caregiver Action Network (caregiveraction.org)offers a variety of resources for family caregivers and spearheads the annual celebration of those individuals.
