When caring for an elderly adult, you may sometimes feel that
there are never enough hours in the day to complete every task. Doing things
for yourself seems to always be an afterthought, so you continuously put things
off until a later time or date. Your own personal care turns into non important
events or deeds. Caregivers who give care to senior loved ones often get
burnout because of the stress and strain that have become occupational hazards of
the job. The needs of the caregiver get overlooked or neglected due to the time
factor.
What It Means To Be A Caregiver
Home Care Richmond understands that being a good or great caregiver means that you not only must have a care plan, but you must also have a scheduled plan for yourself that includes planning ahead. When you manage your time efficiently, you and your senior loved one will be happier because there will be less stress. When you make schedules and plan ahead, you lessen the amount of gaps there will be in coverage for your senior loved one and yourself. This could be as simple as planning to take five to ten minutes to make a phone call to a friend who has the ability to brighten your day, and put you in a good mood. Phone calls are minute, but you want to be able to relax and be comfortable when do so.
If you are part of a caregiver team, make sure that the role and responsibilities of each is clearly defined. When there are more than one caregiver taking care of a senior loved one, and neither thinks that a certain duty is not theirs, then the task does not get done. It is then put on the task roster again which can be wasting time. This is also important for the sole caregiver. Putting off a task and planning to do it later can often mean that it will not get done at all. Know the role, and plan a time for each task and do it so that you can have time to devote to you. Do not procrastinate.
Conclusion
Richmond Home Care suggests another way to manage your time when caring for a senior loved one is to make a list, and prioritizes that list. You will often be overwhelmed when you do a little of this, and a little of that when you are not clear about what you have to do. With a list, you will have a visual reminder to help keep you focused and on track. You can prioritize tasks according to their importance, and the need of your senior loved one. You are already aware that some tasks will take precedence over others, and you want to ensure that they get done on schedule. Managing your expectations about what you can actually get done, and how perfect you can be with it will help you know that you may be able to do anything, but you may not be able to do everything. Planning and scheduling are vital keys to managing your time.
Comments
Post a Comment