Celebrating our Client Families for National Family Caregivers Month
November is National Family Caregivers Month and we are excited to honor all of the family members out there caring for their aging loved ones. We are proud to come alongside our clients and their family caregivers to provide the effective and compassionate care that they want and deserve. Many of our Senior Home Companions caregivers on staff have also cared for family members when they get older, and that personal experience makes our client families feel just that much more comfortable.
Coming alongside family caregivers
As we celebrate our family caregivers, it’s important to recognize the work that they’ve taken on. It can be a tough, but rewarding, experience to care for a parent, grandparent or family member who likely once took care of you. There are also a number of tasks involved aside from just the companionship and personal needs of caregiving, including arranging appointments, administrative and logistical duties, handling financial or legal documents and much more.
To alleviate the burden of caregiving from falling on just one family member, we highly recommend scheduling regular family meetings to discuss the plan of action. And with the Family Matters program at Senior Home Companions, our experts on family caregiving can come alongside and help guide you through the aging process for your loved one, including whether to bring in a hired caregiver companion.
Working together for a common goal
If you are caring for an aging loved one, sometimes you have to ask for help. You may need help from family members in coordinating day-to-day care. Or you may need help from a professional, like the caregivers at Senior Home Companions. Our trained caregivers are here to work with your family toward a common goal of keeping your loved one active, engaged and independent at home. We can join your family in caregiving as little or as much as you wish, with flexible, private pay in-home care services offering just what you need when you need it.
“Senior Home Companions made me feel relieved to have someone so caring looking after Bob,” said client Patti Shanahan. “It was obvious to me that they do a great job hiring and training their caregivers. Anne is wonderful and I felt like we were part of a family. Bob received excellent care from some wonderful caregivers.”
Self-care support for family caregivers
One of the hardest parts of family caregiving is the risk of burnout. In fact, AgingInPlace reports that half of adult caregivers find it moderately or very difficult to balance work and caregiving. Delegating tasks like transportation or meal planning to another family member or hired caregiver can help, but taking time for yourself is important too.
In fact, the theme of this year’s National Family Caregivers Month is #CaregiverAnd, in order to highlight the passions that enrich your life and not let your role as a family caregiver overshadow your overall identity. Finding time for self-care will allow you to take better care of your aging loved one in the long run, and a Senior Home Companions caregiver can support you in those efforts. Our respite care services can offer you a few hours a week so you can make time for a favorite hobby or activity, or we can even stay for several days to offer you a much-needed vacation.
If you are a family caregiver, we commend you and your efforts! This National Family Caregivers Month, take some time to celebrate yourself and the relationships you’ve formed with the aging loved ones you care for. And if you are in need of additional comprehensive, non-medical support, contact Senior Home Companions for a complimentary consultation today. Our companion caregivers in Indianapolis, Lafayette and Central Florida would love to come alongside your family in your caregiving journey.