Compassionate Elder Care: Integrating Your Own Health Concerns into Your Care Efforts

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Elder Care in Westfield NJ

elder care in westfield njWhen you are on an elder care journey with your aging loved ones, much of your day is spent thinking about their needs and doing what you can to ensure that those needs are met so that you can live a happy, comfortable, safe, and healthy quality of life throughout their aging years. If you find yourself facing your own health concerns during the course of this journey, however, you may have to shift some of your focus away from them and to your own battle so that you can maintain your health and well-being for yourself, your elderly loved ones, and everyone who relies on you.

Integrating your own health concerns into your care efforts with your loved ones can be extremely difficult, but being a truly compassionate family caregiver means caring for yourself and your parents in a way that addresses everyone’s needs and maintains your routine and your dedication in the best way possible so that you do not sacrifice everything that you have already accomplished within your care journey.

Use these tips to help you balance your needs and the needs of your loved ones while you integrate your own health concerns into your care journey with your aging parents:

  • Be upfront about it. As soon as you know about your health condition, sit down and talk to your parents about it. Be upfront and honest with them about it, but do not overly worry them or offer information that is not necessary. Make sure that you know as much about the condition as possible so that you can answer their questions and give them accurate details
  • Know what to share. Being honest with your parents about your medical condition does have its limits. Evaluate your parents’ health, needs, and wellbeing before you start this conversation so that you can truly determine what they can handle. Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia may not be able to truly comprehend serious medical issue sand would only get upset if you told them, so carefully decide what they need to know and how you plan to tell them
  • Get them involved. Just because you are know their caregiver does not mean that your aging loved ones are not still your parents and do not want to take care of you. Allow them to be actively involved in your care approach for your own health needs, including telling them about the guidelines that the doctor put forth for you such as diet, exercise, and treatments so that your parents can support and encourage you throughout your own journey. This will not only help them to feel more important, involved, and at ease about the situation, but will also make it easier for you to integrate your own care into theirs
  • Take time for yourself. When you first started your elder care journey with your aging loved ones, you likely did it with determination and commitment to being there for them in whatever they needed. When you find out that you are dealing with a medical problem, however, this may need to change. You will need to take time for yourself to focus on your own needs and what will help you to overcome this issue in the way that is right for you. This might mean hiring an elderly health care services provider, asking for more help from your siblings, partner, and other family members, and friends, or just taking more breaks during the day so that you can do what you need to do to handle your health in the best way possible.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional elder care in Westfield NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us Today (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534

Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP