The Importance of Senior Caregiver Breaks

How many of you remember the old McDonald’s ad… “You deserve a break today”? Those caring for their elderly loved-ones need to take this advice to heart! Caregivers are the overlooked victim in any disease. Everyone relies on them for just about everything and to always know what to do. 

Caregiver Facts:

Caregivers are people just like you and me. They may have a family, children and their schedules to coordinate, their own healthcare needs and appointments, friends who they like to see and visit, and let’s not forget… a job!  Yes, caregivers also have “places to go and people to see”. How they do everything is always a miracle in itself. 

In order to take care of a loved-one, you must first take care of yourself. The scariest statistic for caregivers is that 1 out of every 4 caregivers dies before their loved one. The stress and neglect on a caregiver’s body does not make for a healthy person. YOU, the caregiver, are precious to everyone and therefore, must take care of and make time for yourself. 

How can you get this much needed break?

• If your loved-one is still at home, ask another relative take him/her home for an evening, a weekend or even a week;
• Have friends come by and sit with your loved-one so you can go have some “me” time to do something that you enjoy or even run errands without distraction;
• Enroll your loved-one in an Adult Day Program for partial daytime relief;
• Explore a “Short-Term Respite Stay” at an Assisted Living Community for a break of a couple of days or more;
• Consider moving your loved-one into an Assisted Living Community to give yourself peace-of-mind; with the stress of being the primary caregiver lifted, the relationship with your loved-one can become much a more rewarding and enjoyable one. 

When you take this time for yourself, everyone around you will appreciate it. You’ll feel like a better friend, parent, sibling, spouse, child and employee. You deserve a break today – take time for it!

If you are looking for a quality assisted living community for your loved one visit United Methodist Homes webpage today or contact us to learn more!