5 Keys to Successful Caregiving

Caregiving is a challenging and demanding career, and it is not for the faint of heart. We understand that better than anyone here at Visiting Angels, and we are grateful to you choosing such a rewarding occupation! We want to share a few tips with you to help you always remember why you chose to be a caregiver, and how you can be the most successful providing senior care.

Have Patience

We know – it can be hard to keep it together all the time and bottle up your frustrations when dealing with others who share concerns for your patient. But one of the best possible things you can do as a caregiver is to practice patience and be understanding. Providing senior care requires a lot of time and effort, but patience is gratifying.

Practice Forgiveness

It’s easy in this career to be hard on yourself. After all, we are our own worst critics! But we want you to cut yourself some slack and be forgiving of your missteps. Caregiving is not cut and dry or black and white. There is much to discover and learn from every single day.

Talk to Someone

When we experience stress and hardships, especially in our careers, we all too frequently hold in our feelings and do not adequately express our irritations. Instead of keeping these feelings to yourself, we highly recommend talking to someone about them. Whether that’s to your spouse, a sibling, a friend, or a counselor, the act of sharing your feelings can be relieving and refreshing.

Release Your Stress

We acknowledge that not everyone is so comfortable being open and discussing their frustrations with others, and that’s okay. Thankfully, there are other ways you can relieve your stress! Getting exercise can release endorphins to improve your mood and help you find peace. Likewise, writing in a journal or keeping a blog is a therapeutic way to release your emotions.

Don’t Take Things Personally

Truly, don’t take anything personally. If you receive harsh critiques from family members, or even directly from the senior you are caring for, just know it’s not you. Remember that this is a difficult time for everyone involved, and don’t take it too much to heart.

For more tips on being a successful senior caregiver, please reach out to our experts at Visiting Angels. We are here to support you every step of the way!