Category: Caregiver Stress

Take nine people who are 65 or older. Statistically, one of them has Alzheimer’s disease. By the year 2050, it’s expected the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s will double. Right now, 6 million people are dealing with this disease.

You know all about the impact Alzheimer’s has on your life. Your dad has Alzheimer’s, and you’re considering becoming his primary caregiver in hopes of saving money. Before you make this decision, there are things you should keep in mind.

Every Case Is Different

Your dad may be calm and sweet one day and furious the next. It’s hard to predict his mood from one moment to the next. Something as simple as telling him “no” can cause him to become angry and verbally or physically abusive.

You may never experience extreme agitation. Your dad may always be quiet and calm. Just as he may constantly try to escape the house to “go home,” or he may never want to leave your side.

It’s Normal to Bounce Between Stages

There are seven stages of Alzheimer’s disease in the early, middle, and late stages. Your dad may bounce between the different stages for months or years, making it hard to know when new symptoms will appear. He may also experience some late-stage symptoms while also showing signs of mid-stage symptoms.

Organization Helps

Stay organized as best you can. If that means using an app to keep track of your daily, weekly, and monthly to-do list, do so. You might find a whiteboard is better.

Some of the first things your dad will need help with include medication reminders, meal preparation, transportation, and help to pay bills on time. It may progress to assisting with ambulation, helping him with bathing and grooming, and housekeeping.

Quitting a Job Will Impact Your Finances

Many family caregivers do not get paid. Some spend their own savings to help a parent with Alzheimer’s afford groceries, medications, and clothing. If you quit your job to care for your dad, can you afford to lose the health insurance contribution and other employment benefits?

Plus, the longevity of Alzheimer’s patients varies. You may be caring for your dad for over a decade. When you finally go to reenter the job market, you may get many responses about having been out of the working world for too long. For this reason, it may be better to reduce your hours and hire caregivers to help out while you’re at work.

Alzheimer’s disease is challenging for everyone. It’s important to arrange caregivers to help you with your dad’s care. As much as you’d like to be his only caregiver, the emotional strain can be challenging when you don’t have support. Call a home care agency and schedule caregivers for respite care.

Sources:
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures

If you or an aging loved one is considering caregivers in Edina, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.

Resilience fatigue is an actual condition that many family caregivers run into. Could you have resilience fatigue and not know it? Here is everything you need to know about this issue.

Resilience Fatigue Explained

When you’re helping your mom or dad every day, you probably don’t take many breaks. You know they depend on you, so you make sure there is no point where you’re unavailable. You keep powering through each day, even when you’re tired, down, or frustrated.

You show up with a smile on your face and a positive attitude. It’s all a front, however, as you really didn’t want to get out of bed and make the drive to your parents’ home. You’re acting cheerful, but the truth is you’ve been “on” for so long that you’re burning out.

That’s resilience fatigue. You’ve been pushing yourself to remain positive and motivated, and it’s now backfiring. You’re desperate for a break, but you can’t see how to make it work.

Why Do Many Family Caregivers Become Exhausted?

Helping your parents with their daily activities shouldn’t be so tiring. Why is it? A lot of it comes down to the extra work you take on. You’re helping your parents out, which makes you feel helpful, but you also have everything else you do daily.

You have a full-time job, so you’re rushing from work to help your parents with dinner. After that, you head home where you have to get laundry started, walk your dog, and make sure your kids have eaten and done their homework.

Many family caregivers find it hard to set limits and say no. You’re going from a 40-hour workweek to 40 hours at work, plus an average of 22 hours helping your mom and dad, and the commute time between work, their home, and your home. Holding a full-time and unpaid part-time position is exhausting.

What Can You Do?

You need to leave time for yourself. If you’re working 40 hours and have an hour commute twice a day, that’s 50 hours a week already. Add in 20 hours with your parents, and it’s too much.

You don’t have to ignore your parents, but you can set limits. Agree to help them with laundry on weekends, but they need to have home care during the week to have nights to yourself.

One of the best ways to prevent resilience fatigue is by making sure you take days off now and then. It’s okay to want to be there for your parents, but you can’t lose track of yourself in the process. Call a home care agency and ask about respite care.

Respite care enables you to take time off every now and then. While you’re focusing on your own interests and needs, your parents have caregivers to makes sure their needs are met.

Sources:
https://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AARP1340_RR_Caregiving50Plus_508.pdf

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in St. Louis Park, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.