At Hearts at Home In-Home Care, we honor the dedication of family caregivers by offering compassionate support whenever they need it.
If you’ve ever felt unrecognized and underappreciated in your role as family caregiver, this month is for you! November is National Family Caregivers Month, an occasion to celebrate the dedication of family caregivers and the tireless work you invest in making sure a loved one’s life is the best it can be.
It’s Not Always Easy…But You Are Making a Difference
Take a moment to think through what a day in the life of family caregiving involves. Your first thoughts are never for yourself, but for the health and wellbeing of someone you love. Because of you, an older loved one:
- Never has to worry about facing the challenges of aging alone
- Can enjoy healthy meals
- Has a companion to brighten each day through conversations, outings, and fun activities
- Receives the support and help needed to complete the daily tasks of living that may have become difficult to take care of on their own
- And so much more
Caregiving is a rewarding but challenging endeavor, and we salute you for your selfless work.
You’re in Good Company
As reported in an AARP study, unpaid family caregiving amounts to more than $600 billion in care. This mind-boggling statistic translates to 38 million family caregivers who care for a loved one an average of 18 hours per week. To put it into perspective, this far surpasses the $433 billion spent annually in out-of-pocket healthcare costs by everyone in the United States.
But You Cannot Do It All Alone
Family caregivers often feel as though there isn’t anyone who knows the older family member better than they do, and therefore no one can provide the same level of care. While the first part of this may very well be true, the truth is that trying to meet all of a loved one’s care needs independently is not healthy for either the caregiver or care receiver.
In order to offer the best care for someone you love, you must take care of yourself, too. Feeling burned out and worn down contributes to lower patience levels, less attention to detail, and greater frustration and stress—a recipe for a number of negative effects, including:
- Relationship issues with other family members and friends who also need your attention and time
- Sleeping issues
- An increased risk of injury to the senior from a fall, medication mishap, or other accident
- Self-medication through unhealthy means
- Resentment, anger, and other complicated emotions
- Caregiver depression as well as other serious health issues
- And much more
The Solution
The very best way you can celebrate National Family Caregivers Month is by acknowledging the need for support to allow yourself to take time to care for yourself. Hearts at Home In-Home Care’s respite care services are the perfect way to obtain a healthier life balance while ensuring the high quality care a loved one deserves.
We help family caregivers like you prioritize their own overall health without compromising the care their loved ones receive. Contact us online or call us at 913-440-4209 for more information regarding our customized in-home respite care for older adults in Lenexa, Olathe, Mission Hills, and the surrounding areas.