6 Reasons to Utilize Senior Assistance Services and Hire a Visiting Angels Caregiver

Visiting Angels senior assistance services are available in Lakes Region of New Hampshire and Surrounding Towns

When you look back on the things that your parents have done for you over the years, you may be left with the feeling of obligation and joy; this joy can be the result of being able to provide them with a return for the care they provide for you. Care for an aging adult is much different from caring for a child-- this is important for adult children to remember when caring for their parents. We have listed six reasons that families should look into senior assistance services. 

Reasons to utilize in-home care services

1. Role Reversal Doesn’t Work

It is crucial to remember that they are still your parents and that no matter how dependent they become as their dementia progresses, it is essential to maintain the mother/daughter relationship. At the beginning of senior assistance services, your parents may push back, leaving you frustrated with your caregiving abilities. Typically, aging parents (regardless of their care needs) don’t wish to be dependent on their children-- they don’t want to become a burden. Most hope their children didn’t have to assist with their hygiene, banking, or other daily living activities they once were so capable of doing themselves. This independence is why senior assistance services are available through Visiting Angels of Gilford. 

Being aware of these starkly different views on responsibility is crucial when creating a foundation for what senior assistance services will be best for all parties involved. Sometimes, inverting the child-parent relationship is just too big of a hurdle to clear.

2. Unprepared for a Steep Learning Curve

Often, families find themselves entering the world of unexpected health events or illness-- frequently, these families are not prepared for the role of the primary caregiver. When you consider those caring for your parents during their hospital stay: the nurse who administers his/ her medications, the doctor who prescribes them, the physical therapist who implements his treatment plan to follow upon discharge. Even the janitor cleans the floors and a server who brings in the meals (3 times a day); some servers prepare food in pureed style as he regains swallowing abilities after a stroke. When you take over the caregiver role, can you indeed provide these seniors assistance services?

The quickness of becoming a caregiver can be problematic, not to mention the tough decision that will need to be made, such as: 

• Who will give or remind Dad to take his medication every three hours once he’s home? 
• How will Mom get up and down the stairs after her knee surgery? 
• Add in transportation to doctor’s appointments, coordinating physical therapy schedules, managing and administering medications, laundry, bills, meals, and more?

More often than not, it is just unrealistic for one person to handle all of these responsibilities independently. 

3. Difficult Family Dynamics

When it comes to disagreements regarding senior assistance services, family dynamics can become heated-- this can cause some families to experience rifts and broken relationships. An Alzheimer’s Association-commissioned survey said 61 percent of siblings “felt they didn’t get the support they needed from their brothers and sisters and it strained their relationship.” 

There are many situations that children can find themselves in-- maybe they aren’t the oldest sibling, but they’ve lived closest to the parents for the longest, or perhaps they’re the only child and have always been the responsible one. Some families already have strained relationships between parents, children, or siblings before caregiving starts.

Then when you bring in stepparents, in-laws, and blended families to the mix as well, and the question of who’s going to care for Mom can become a volatile one. If you aren’t sure you can handle this pressure, senior assistance services may be a smart option. 

4. Lack of Back-Up 

In truth, caregiving is unpredictable; what if your father has a fall while you are working? Who will be there to ensure that he doesn’t try to get up and injure himself further before the ambulance arrives?

What if your mother begins wandering outside in the evenings (and the Alzheimer’s Association suggests six in 10 people with Alzheimer’s or dementia will wander at some point)? Who is there to make sure she makes her way home safely?

Many adult children have their own families. What happens when situations arise in your household? What about if you find yourself needing surgery? Who will be there to care for your parent(s) while you’re healing?

Regardless of if you can manage the day-to-day responsibilities, you need a backup plan. Caregiving takes a village, and establishing a senior assistance service plan early is essential. 

5. Caregiver Burnout is Real

Don’t be fooled. Caring for a loved one is not a walk in the park. Even if you go into senior assistance services with the best intentions, burnout will eventually hit, especially when there is no support system of seniors assistance services in place. According to data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), sandwich generation caregivers [those caring for parents and children simultaneously] spend about 1,350 hours a year helping their aging parents and children, and about 75 percent of these caregivers are employed outside the home. 

It is a full-time job to care for your loved one, which is challenging to do when you’re trying to do the full-time jobs of managing your household and balancing a career and children. You will reach a point of burnout; this responsibility can affect your physical health.

The reality is, burnout can turn dangerous for both you and your loved one. Click here to read more about burnout and how to mitigate it.

6. Time You Don’t Have 

In many cases, the aging parent requires around-the-clock senior assistance services. If this is the situation you find yourself and your loved one in, you should consider how you could manage this level of care and commitment, especially if you have a job and a family at home. Senior assistance services from a knowledgeable and compassionate caregiver are your best way to assist your loved one. Senior assistance services can be provided day-to-day or even up to 24-hours. 

What’s next?

If you’re interested in more information about how in-home senior assistance services can help your senior loved ones, contact Visiting Angels of Gilford, NH, to learn more about our services today!