Don't Neglect Your Own Care

Don't Go It Alone
Oftimes friends and relatives want to support you, but don't know how. Start by making a list of the willing and a list of chores, and ask friends and family to choose the tasks they feel most comfortable with. If hands-on caregiving is too stressful, there's always cleaning, organizing, fixing things around the house, organizing the pantry, attic and garage, taking the car in for service and having the tires rotated, grocery shopping, cooking, gardening, having clothes mended, taking the patient out for a ride or to get her hair done, or simply taking you out to lunch.

Adult Day Care
Enrolling an elderly loved one in Adult Day Care ca provide several hours of respite for you, and is often a very positive experience for the patient. The elder's day is filled with social interaction and activities lead by healthcare professionals. It may take a few weeks for the senior to get comfortable, but generally, they'll enjoy singing, dancing, cooking, games, crafts, bingo, movies, current events, lectures, and exercise. By outsourcing caregiving for a few hours, you get time to recharge, which will make it easier to cope when your loved one returns home. (An added bonus, the day's worth of activities often tires patients, helping them to sleep through the night).

Rather than feeling guilty for taking the time to care for yourself, think of it as part of the responsibility of a caregiver. Without time to yourself, you are more at risk of reaching a breaking point. That's especially true if dementia has brought out the worst in your loved one. Perfectly sweet individuals can become nasty, hurling insults and accusations, or even getting physical, hitting, biting, or spitting. Without a chance to decompress, any caregiver can become depressed or enraged. Either way, they need help.

Support Group a Must
The realization that the once-vibrant, intelligent, sweet loved one has morphed into an emply shell, can cause profound feelings of sadness and loss. By joining others in support groups, caregivers can exchange coping strategies and learn creative solutions to shared problems, for instance, how to develop the emotional tools to deflect a loved one's hurtfulstatements, or how to use distraction and redirection instead of arging with logic or reason. Sharing experiences with an understanging group can help lessen the likelihood or severity of depression. To find a support group, check with your local Adult Day Care Center.

Next: Warning signs of depression