November 15, 2017
Let’s be genuine: providing care for an aging loved one can become tiring, overwhelming, and isolating. When care demands advance, especially when a chronic condition like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease is at play, being a family caregiver may make you feel that you’re in over your head, and getting through the standard elements of the day – using the shower, preparing meals, doing errands – can seem to be a barrier too great to leap.
According to Carey Wexler Sherman, a gerontologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, “Caregiving is done with a lot of love and affection, but there’s a lot of loss involved. People talk about friends disappearing, about even family members not wanting to be involved. It’s a lonely business.”
Consequently, quite a few family caregivers have the tendency to isolate themselves. It’s hard to schedule social excursions without knowing what kind of day Mom or Dad might be facing. It is similarly tricky to invite friends over and face the potential need to cancel plans at the last minute. Sometimes it just seems easier to try to handle everything on your own. Senior geriatric social worker at Massachusetts General Hospital, Barbara Moscowitz, shares remarks she hears from family members looking after a senior with dementia: “They say, ‘I’m exhausted trying to explain to people why she’s doing what she’s doing, why they shouldn’t be angry or afraid. It’s just easier to stay home.”
Nevertheless, we know that social isolation and loneliness are connected to significant health risks: heart disease, stroke, depression, and even a more significant prevalence of developing dementia or dying prematurely. Caregiver support is a must, both for the individual being taken care of as well as the family members supplying that care.
Continuum is readily available to provide home care support in so many ways, through hands-on assistance with every aspect regarding senior caregiving: preparing of food, keeping the house tidy, running errands, and so much more – permitting family much-needed time to themselves to spend with good friends and in enjoyable, relaxing activities – ensuring the wellbeing of all family members.
Contact us any time for the professional St. Louis senior care you can rely on, providing you the opportunity to regain a healthy life balance while knowing your senior loved one is in the very best hands.