You may not feel any different than you did before you started taking care of your aging mother, but you might be different. Your health may not be as good as it once was. The stress of being a family caregiver takes a toll. Too often, though, people don’t recognize the signs and how things are changing until a serious crisis arises.
Your life as a caregiver has shifted a lot. It often shifts one’s focus from one’s career or children to that aging loved one who needs help. You may have been a career-driven individual, somebody on the fast track to another promotion, but now things have stalled.
At work, you spend more and more of your time and energy wondering if your mother is okay at home alone. You may have missed meetings or deadlines, which is completely out of character for you. You may even have started feeling different physically.
Stress affects us in many ways.
Stress is basically the root of the fight-or-flight response naturally engineered into our bodies. Unfortunately, that fight-or-flight response was meant to provide the body with the right chemicals and hormones to run faster or fight harder and stronger to survive. It was meant for short bursts and limited durations.
Today, many people are under constant stress, worry, fear, and doubt. Given enough time, all of that extra chemical and hormone production will take a toll on your physical health and well-being. It can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and many other chronic health issues.
If you don’t take care of yourself, you may find that you need support at some point in the future, too. If that happens, who is going to be there for your mother? If you can’t take care of yourself, you certainly can’t care for somebody else.
In-home care is the answer.
There are many different forms of in-home care, but the best is through a home care agency. Home care agencies provide experienced aides who can assist seniors with a wide range of tasks and needs. Even for those home care aides who have never done this work before, most agencies will provide some level of training and certainly offer ongoing support. That way, an in-home care provider with a question can simply turn to their supervisor or other caregivers for counsel and advice.
Where do you turn for counsel and advice when it comes to supporting your aging mother? Do you have anybody in your life who has been a caregiver for an elderly person, too? Most of us don’t, or we don’t realize it or know who they are. That’s because most people don’t really talk about that aspect of their lives when it’s over.
How have you been feeling lately?
This may seem an odd question, sort of out of the blue, but it has its place. Have you been sleeping well? Most family caregivers don’t. Have you had trouble focusing at work or at home with whatever tasks are in front of you? Most family caregivers do.
Have you noticed things you forgot to do, mistakes that you’ve made, and that they are increasing in frequency? Most family caregivers do.
These are all products of stress. Stress affects your physical health, as well as your mental and emotional health and well-being. That’s why it is so important to consider in-home care.
You don’t have to feel guilty because when your mother is supported, cared for, and in good hands, you know she’s safe. You also know that you can continue helping her the best you can, and who knows, your time spent with her might actually be more quality time (for your relationship), which is exactly what she needs.
If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care in McKinney, TX, contact the caring staff at HomeWell Care Services Plano TX today. Call (469) 596-6500
HomeWell Care Services Plano TX is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Richardson, Garland, Little Elm, Prosper, and the surrounding areas.
