5 Reasons a Family Caregiver Needs to Take Breaks

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Why a Family Caregiver Needs to Take Breaks in Victoria, BC

The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) reports about 8 million Canadians provide informal care for loved ones. If this is what you do on a regular basis, you know how it can be both personally rewarding and stressful at times. For this reason, it can be beneficial to take a break by having other family members help out or exploring your options with professional home care. Here are five specific reasons to take a break if you’re a family caregiver.

1. Avoid Burnout

As a family caregiver, you need to be at your best, both emotionally and physically. But this isn’t going to be possible if you push yourself to the point where you’re overstressed and physically exhausted. If you feel like you’re close to the burnout point, you’ll be doing yourself and your senior loved one a favor if you take a break to recharge and refresh. If you’re experiencing emotional burnout, a break could give you time to seek treatment or explore your options with counseling or therapy.

2. Recover from Sickness or Injuries

If you aren’t feeling well or you’re recovering from a serious illness or injury, it’s best to take a break. If you’re ill, taking a break can protect your loved one, since older adults tend to be more susceptible to viruses and bacterial illnesses because of weaker immune systems. If you’ve sustained an injury, taking a break allows you to heal without the added physical burdens that often go along with caregiving.

Family caregivers sometimes need a break from their caregiving responsibilities. When they need respite care, Victoria families can rely on professional caregivers to help their senior loved ones remain safe at home.

3. Address Scheduling Conflicts

It’s common for family caregivers to have many things on their plates that require careful planning and scheduling. But there will inevitably be times when you just can’t do everything. Instead of stressing yourself out or stretching yourself too thin, make arrangements for another family member to take over when you need to travel for work, attend special events, or run a bunch of errands you’ve been putting off.

Professional caregivers can be a wonderful source of information and support for family members caring for aging loved ones. When researching agencies that provide senior care, families are usually looking for flexible care plans, compassionate and highly trained caregivers, and 24/7 availability. Whether you need respite care to take a break from your caregiving duties or your senior loved one needs around-the-clock assistance at home, you can rely on Home Care Assistance.

4. Spend More Time with Other Loved Ones

If you have a significant other and/or younger children, it’s not always easy to be there for them and provide sufficient care for your loved one at the same time. By taking regular breaks, you can have more time for other equally important people in your life. One way to do this without feeling guilty or leaving your loved one unattended is to arrange for in-home care on an as-needed basis. Such services are usually provided at times that are best for the family.

5. Enjoy Your Life

There are likely instances when you need to take time for other things in your life to maintain a healthy balance. Again, a great way to do this without inconveniencing your loved one is to arrange for in-home care. There are many enjoyable reasons for taking breaks, including:

• Having time to socialize with friends
• Taking time to pursue various hobbies and interests
• Spending time with an immediate family member who needs some extra attention for other reasons
• Needing to have some well-deserved “me time” during certain hours of the day 

Seniors can face a variety of age-related challenges. Though some families choose to take on the caregiving duties, there may come a time when they need a trusted Victoria home care service provider. Families sometimes need respite from their duties so they can focus on their other responsibilities, and some seniors need around-the-clock assistance that their families are not able to provide. Home Care Assistance is here to help. Call us today at (250) 592-4881 to learn more about our flexible and customizable senior care plans.

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