VISITING ANGELS HURST, TX 817-952-3223
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How to Care for the Caregiver in Your Family

Is your dad doing the heavy lifting when it comes to caring for your mom? Is your sister the go-to for providing your loved one’s care? Family caregivers are a treasure. Their kindness and generosity enable their family members to age where they are most comfortable.

While they may not have the training that their professional counterparts have, family caregivers’ work is fueled by love and devotion. They learn as they go, and because they are motivated by the very best cause, family caregivers work hard and give willingly.

Where they can sometimes struggle, though, is that family caregivers don’t know where to set their boundaries and how to take care of their own needs while also taking care of their loved ones’. Experienced professional caregivers know how to protect themselves from emotional exhaustion and caregiver burn out. These are learned skills that family caregivers, frequently, need help and support as they develop. Family Caregiver with Elderly woman

Family caregivers need someone watching out for their wellness as they undertake a big project with which they are emotionally connected. Help them by planning for their needs. Here’s how you can care for the caregivers in your family, even if you are not local.

COVID-19 support

The spread of COVID-19 has been worrisome for seniors and their caregivers alike. While family caregivers may be working through the logistics of ensuring that they have the necessary supplies to weather the outbreak, one way that other family members can assist is by doing the research and forging an emergency plan in case a loved one or a caregiver becomes ill.

Telehealth can be an important component of your family’s emergency plan. This technology enables seniors to meet with their care providers remotely. Many hospitals are using it to offer initial COVID-19 assessments so that they can advise clients who exhibit symptoms about next steps without risking the infection that an in-person meeting may invite.

The technology also enables patients to stay current when it comes to their regular healthcare appointments, even during the outbreak. If you live far from your family, and you’re not able to assist with the daily work of caring for your family member, an important way you can assist is by doing the technological work including researching and registering them for Telehealth services. Taking this off the caregiver’s plate is huge, especially now.

Emotional support

Supporting both your loved one and the caregiver in your family goes a long way. Calling regularly and sending cards, books and care packages helps to give everyone a boost. It also keeps you in the loop and makes those doing the daily caregiving work feel like they have a partner in their work. There is physical caregiving and there is emotional caregiving. While you have to be physically present for the former, that’s not true of the latter.

Check in. Listen. Be a sounding board for your loved one and for your family member who is providing care. Keep in mind that they may just need your kind ear. They may not need solutions to problems they’re encountering. An active, willing listener can be an excellent source of emotional support. Be that sounding board, and remember to show your appreciation every step of the way. Family caregivers do amazing work. Sometimes they don’t realize that. Assure them of this every time you speak with them.

Tag in professional support

Family caregivers need breaks. They need time to focus on themselves and to recharge. Undoubtedly, what they are doing is wonderful and generous, but make sure to also give them plenty of support in their work. Visiting Angels Caregivers can offer that extra support in a variety of ways. A Visiting Angels Caregiver can come in on a regular basis to relieve the family caregiver so that he or she can get a break to run an errand or have some quiet time alone. Visiting Angels Caregivers can provide a range of services during that time.

Another way you can help: Visiting Angels’ Respite Care affords family caregivers a more extended opportunity to refresh themselves. This service enables them to leave for a day or a weekend, providing full coverage from a Visiting Angels Caregiver while they are away. It’s one more way you help care for the caregiver in your family. Connect with us so we can learn more about your situation 817-952-3223.

Serving North Fort Worth, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, and Watauga areas

Visiting Angels HURST, TX
1550 Norwood Dr #101
Hurst, TX 76054
Phone: 817-952-3223
Fax: 817-952-3225

Serving North Fort Worth, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, and Watauga areas

Visiting Angels HURST, TX
1550 Norwood Dr #101
Hurst, TX 76054
Phone: 817-952-3223
Fax: 817-952-3225