Are your senior parents in need of help to ensure safety at home? Are you also trying to manage taking care of children at home? If so, you have the distinction of being a part of the sandwich generation – a demographic of folks, mostly in their 30s or 40s, who are responsible for raising their own children while at the same time providing care for their aging parents. The “to-do lists” of the sandwich generation are crammed. Many family caregivers not only are employed full time, but are additionally taking children to and from activities and maintaining household tasks on top of their caregiving duties. There are solutions to assist caregivers however, and the first step is becoming knowledgeable on how to make the situation more manageable.
At the risk of adding more to your already overflowing plate, give some thought to adding these items to your to-do list to help make caregiving more efficient:
Hold a family meeting.
Talk through the various different caregiving tasks that need to be performed each day or week. Establish common expectations of how the many tasks of caregiving will be accomplished.
Get the facts and prevent surprises.
Caregivers should communicate with their parents about finances, what their desires are for long-term care, and what plans they have made if they become sick or incapacitated.
Ask for help.
This can often be the most difficult thing for a family caregiver to do, but it is without a doubt the most essential. You cannot do everything without any help, and that is OK! Call resources including your local Area Agency on Aging, a hospital social worker, a physician, or a religious organization. Also contact a local aging care provider, like Effraim Home Care, to give yourself a break while ensuring your loved one is well cared for.
Above all, know that you don’t have to go it alone. Effraim Home Care’s in-home care services can give you the opportunity you need to rest and recuperate so you don’t become affected by sandwich generation caregiver burnout. Whether the need is for just a couple of hours each week, full-time, live-in care, or just about anything in between, our highly skilled care staff can assist with an extensive range of home care needs: personal care, meal planning/preparation, household chores, running errands, transportation, or simply warm companionship to participate in enjoyable conversations and pastimes. Contact us today at (215) 826-7422 to discover more about our home care in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas and find out how we can help you and your family.
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