Caring for a loved one at home is a fulfilling job but it can be much more draining than if your loved one was in an assisted living or memory care facility. It is very common for caregivers to experience excessive exhaustion and burnout when performing senior care at home. It is important to note that you may be dealing with much more than just feeling weary and frazzled; it can be having an impact on your cognitive function. A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that people administering dementia care were six times more likely than the rest of the population to be diagnosed with dementia themselves and end up needing memory care support.
Other cognitive issues related to providing senior care includes:
At Sunlight Care our private duty nurses, home health aides and companions fully understand the impact their help with an elderly parent has for the family caregiver. Many family members take on the caregiving roll for their loved one when the need arises. This often means there has not been time to make a plan or research options. Their focus is on helping the ones they love without thinking of the time and energy that will be involved, and the resources required. It can not only affect the health of the caregiver but the quality of care.
Combating the stress of senior care is a concern for both the caregiver and care receiver. A 2017 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that, with dementia care, when the loved one was being taken care of by someone dealing with depression, irritability, etc., the loved one typically died more than a year sooner compared to those being cared for by someone in good mental health. The study did not differentiate if the care for the love one was being provided at home verses a memory care facility.
With dementia care, a caregiver needs to make a plan that includes making time to have their own mental health and well-being kept in check. It is important to have ways to cope with the stress and not be afraid to get support and help. If your mental health is taking a toll think about a support group or consider getting help from Sunlight Care. We have many valuable resources and are ready to help including even helping you determine if it is best to utilize an assisting living center or memory care facility rather than home care services.
Do not sacrifice the quality of care for your loved or your own health and wellbeing. Reach out to Sunlight Care in the Moorestown, Cherry Hill and surrounding areas to get the support you need. We will help alleviate the stress with our home health aide and companion services to help with an elderly parent. We provide completely custom and affordable solutions for your family.
