How to Fight Back Against Caregiver Guilt
Caregiver Broomall PA
Whether you’re an experienced family caregiver or you’re new to the task, you’ll eventually experience twinges of caregiver guilt. It’s important to get those feelings under control.
Set Realistic Goals
When the goals that you set, either for yourself or for your elderly loved one, are less than realistic for the situation, you’re more likely to be disappointed. Having unrealistic goals can also set your elderly loved one up for disappointment, which is a massive trigger for caregiver guilt. Part of setting realistic goals involves ensuring that you’re as educated about the situation as you can be. That way you always know what you’re dealing with at any time.
Give up the Idea of Controlling the Situation
Sometimes you may not realize that you’re trying to control the situation, but it’s more common than you might think. Trying to maintain constant control will eventually fill you with guilt because you start to feel that you had the power to change or fix certain aspects of your loved one’s situation. You have to let go of control and simply do the best that you can do in all of your dealings as your loved one’s family caregiver.
Seek out Support
Support, in all of its formats, is essential for caregivers who want to break the cycle of guilt. You may have a friend or other family member you can talk to when you need to vent. In more complicated situations, joining a support group, whether it’s in person or online, can give you the extra help that you need in order to work through your feelings of guilt.
Avoid “Could Have” or “Should Have” Statements
If you find yourself reminding yourself that you “could have” or “should have” done something differently, these are key words that connect you directly to feelings of guilt. As you start to notice yourself making these types of sentences, you can start employing deeper thinking before you make decisions. Once you do make a decision, acknowledge to yourself that you’ve done so with the best information that you had at your disposal. Avoid second-guessing after the fact.
Long-term guilt can take a long time for you to learn how to master. If you’re still having trouble, talk to a counselor or therapist who can teach you the best ways to work through the feelings.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Caregiver Services in Broomall PA, please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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