Caring For Your Elderly Parent: Here’s How to Balance Caregiving and Personal Life

Life is full of responsibilities between work and family alone. A social life or “me-time” can feel like a fairy tale. When you add the responsibility of caring for an aging parent, things can quickly begin to feel overwhelming. What’s worse are the feelings:

• “I don’t have any other choice.”

• “I’m alone in this.”

• “I feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed.”

If you resonate at all with this, then in this blog I have a couple of things for you: hope and opportunity.

I will share some tips on how to find something resembling balance in all this, but first I want to talk about the opportunity you have in front of you.

It is an amazing thing to get to take care of someone who once took care of you. It presents you with the opportunity to fill your loved one’s life with love, health, and happiness as they age with the dignity they deserve in the comfort and safety of home. But it goes beyond just that. You get to form an even deeper special bond.

The love and care you give this special person, along with the memories you make in the process, will fill your cup more than you can imagine. You will carry this experience into every aspect of your life, forever.

While it might seem overwhelming now, you can do this without sacrificing balance in your life. Caregiving takes an emotional and physical toll on all caregivers, there’s no way around that.

But There’s three things that you can do that will not only help you feel a sense of balance in your life, but will also allow you to show up as your best self for the loved one in your care. Here they are:

• Determine & Prioritize Your Needs

• Find A Support Network

• Ask For Help

These seemingly simple actions are vital to making the most of this opportunity. Let's break each one down.

Determine & Prioritize Your Needs

I have to be a bit vague with this, because your needs may be different from the next readers, so I apologize for that. That said, this is an exercise that anyone would benefit from, not just those caregiving for elderly parents or disabled family members.

• Step One: Brainstorm a list of things you need in your life. Try to think of things that make you happy, energize you, and/or reduce your stress. There’s no such thing as selfishness with this list. If you’re unsure if something is a need or just a want, include it.

• Step Two: Determine the three or four most important things you need based on your list. Do not include anything you’re not lacking.

• Step Three: Put these things back into your life. Make them a priority. Create routines, attach them to pre-existing routines, and incorporate them into your daily and weekly schedule.

This takes a bit of work, but it is worth it and so important. By making sure you get what you need, you can make sure you can give what they need.

Bonus Tip: To avoid overwhelming yourself, focus on one at a time until you make it work.

Find A Support Network

While you’re busy being there for others, you need others who are going to be there for you. This could be your spouse, friends, or family, but it can also be a caregiver support group, online or in-person.

Regardless of what your network looks like, here are two key traits it should include:

• You should be able to safely unload mentally. You should be able to vent about the hardships without facing judgment.

• You should be able to find solutions. When you’re experiencing a caregiving challenge, you should be able to bounce ideas off your support network.

These two things will allow you to be a great caregiver without feeling like you’re all alone.

Ask For Help

You might feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed or needing a break, but you shouldn’t. You do need a break and you should give yourself one.

Ask for help, with both your caregiving responsibilities and your other responsibilities.

Hiring an in-home caregiver is a great way to help you find balance in your life while ensuring your loved one receives the care they need.

iCare Home Care Can Help

Maybe there is no one in your support network that can help with your caregiving responsibilities.

Maybe the level of care is too much for you to handle.

Maybe the demands of the other areas of your life are making it difficult for you to be at your best.

iCare can help by pairing your loved one with the best possible caregiver, someone who is experienced and committed to providing compassionate care.

You and your loved one deserve to make the most of this opportunity.

You Can Do This

Balancing caregiving with your personal life isn't just about managing tasks; it's about embracing the chance to provide your parents with a secure, happy, and dignified aging experience. It's an opportunity to cherish moments and create lasting memories. In our next blog post, we'll delve into understanding the different senior care options available, so you can make the most informed choice for your loved one.