5 Things Family Caregivers Think They Don’t Have Time For
Being a family caregiver often means that you’re on the run from sun up to sun down, making sure that your elderly loved one is well taken care of in all the ways that she needs. What that can mean for you, personally, is that you often let your own needs slide.
Home Care Upper Darby PA – 5 Things Family Caregivers Think They Don’t Have Time For
Eating Right
When you don’t have a lot of time, it seems to make more sense to just grab something fast, like processed frozen foods or something from a drive-thru. The problem is that you can’t eat that way for long without your body feeling the effects. If you take the time to plan your own meals and grocery shopping, you can make much better decisions. Then devote a little bit of time each week or each morning to easy meal preparation.
Exercising
Most people think about exercise from the standpoint of going to a gym or spending hours a day exercising. It doesn’t have to be like that. Visit your doctor first to talk about whether you’re able to exercise and what types of exercise you need at your current health level. From there, just make it a point to move more each day. Start slowly, such as with changing your parking habits from closer to the door to a little further away. Before you know it, you’ll have worked exercise into your daily activities.
Getting Enough Rest
Skimping even a little bit on your sleep takes a toll on you. If you’re having a hard time getting the sleep that you need, talk to your doctor about possible causes. Naps can also help as long as you’re not taking long naps and replacing your sleep overnight with the naps.
Visiting Your Own Doctor
You’ve probably already caught on that visiting your doctor can help you to accomplish some of your other goals. It might be longer than you think since your last check up at your doctor’s office, so make sure you schedule a full physical. That can help you to spot problems now before they become significant health problems.
Relaxation Activities
If you’re not taking time just for yourself to do the activities that relax you, now is the time to start. You have to be able to have down time in order to deal with all of the other challenges that you face. Take the time to figure out what relaxes you the most and then incorporate it into your everyday life.
Reframing your thinking about the importance of these activities in your own life can help you to realize that you do have time for them. Get help from other family members or elder home care providers in order to free up your own time.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Upper Darby 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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