Providing the best care for an aging loved one requires team work. Your team of caregivers will have two positions—a single primary caregiver who is ideally supported by several secondary caregivers.
The Role of the Primary Caregiver
The primary caregiver is the point of contact and coordinator of care. Primary caregivers determine what kind of care is needed, set the appointments, schedule the other caregivers, and oversee care of the house or coordinate the other living arrangements. In the case of a working adult child who is the primary caregiver, they may act as more of a coach—coordinating and working from the sidelines while the secondary caregivers see to the hands on care. Or if the primary caregiver lives with or near their elderly loved one, they may be more like the quarter back—on the field providing the day-to-day care and working with the secondary caregivers.
The Role of the Secondary Caregiver
Secondary caregivers are all the other people who help provide care for your loved one. The role of the secondary caregiver can vary widely. The secondary caregiver can include paid caregivers, adult children who provide hands on and/or monetary support, friends of the family who provide transportation and social interaction, the staff of adult care facilities, etc. The role of the secondary caregiver is to support the primary caregiver in caring for the individual. The primary caregiver will be the final decision maker and lead the team of secondary caregivers.
Forming a Care Team
In order to create the best care team possible, the team must work together. While the primary caregiver may be the decision maker, they cannot perform at their best without the support of the secondary caregivers. Several factors will help you create the best team of caregivers:
Open Communication: All caregivers must openly communicate with the other members of the team and with the individual they are caring for. Communicate about all things—the seemingly inconsequential things and the big issues. You never know when something small or random is the sign of a larger issue.
Established Expectations: From the beginning, it is vital that the primary caregiver set established and clear expectations for all team members. Be direct. Instead of telling a sibling that mom needs help going to the grocery store, directly ask them “Can you take Mom to the grocery store on Monday or Tuesday every week?” Make sure all team members know precisely what is needed of them.
Routines: Set routines will help the caregiver team better meet the established expectations. Routines will not only help the caregiver they will also help your loved one. By knowing what to expect each day, your elderly loved one will feel more in control and have peace of mind that all of their needs are being met.
Through team work and clear communication, you can develop a team of caregivers to care for your elderly loved one.
How to Avoid Caregiver Stress and Avoid a Burnout
Caregiver stress and burnout is becoming an increasingly common side effect of caregiving. Due to demanding scheduling, and meeting overwhelming needs, family members and professional caregivers are finding themselves at risk of caregiver burnout.
It is best to recognize the early warning signs of caregiver burnout, so that you can take action right away. Should youlet thecaregiver stressmount to the point of burnout, it may lead todamaging effects on your ownmental and physicalwellness.
If you are not at your full potential, it will be extremely difficult to properly be able to care for another. It isimperative that youfindthesupport youneed.
Support
The good news is whether you are a professional caregiver or a family member caring for a loved one – you are not alone. It is essential to seek support from local support groups, online support or even counseling. By expressing your feelings of caregiver burnout to others, you will have an outlet to share overwhelming feelings within you as they arise.
Take a moment for yourself
When caring for the needs of others, we often forget to tend to our own needs. Be sure to set aside time to read, go for a walk or laugh with a friend. Remember to make time in your life for those things that are relaxing and bring you joy. It is amazing what a little “me time” can do to ease the burdens of caregiver stress.
Respite Care
One of the best ways to combat caregiver burnout is respite care. You may fear that if you stop and take time for your self, who will be there to take care of your senior? There is a new wave in the caregiver community known as respite care, which lets you take short term breaks, while another caregiver steps in care. Respite care gives you the perfect opportunity to relax and rejuvenate yourself, while having peace of mind that your senior is being cared for properly. Respite care can relieve stress, restore energy and promote balance in your life.
Your Health
Research shows that caregiver stress can take a toll on the immune system, making you much more prone to chronic illness.
One of the best things you can do for your loved one or client is stay healthy. After all, if you run yourself so ragged that you fall ill, you will not be of much help to them. Remember to keep up an exercise regimen, take vitamins and stop for regular breaks when you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed. Caregiver stress can put undue strain on the body. Be aware of any changes in your health or stress levels and consult a doctor when you notice something out of the ordinary.
Although allotting time for yourself to combat caregiver burnout can be difficult, you owe it to yourself and those you care for to be at the
Even with the increase in unemployment during the last year, jobs in senior caregiving are plentiful for both companion caregivers and certified nursing aides and home health aides. Why? Because the large baby boomer generation is aging (the U.S. Census Bureau considers anyone born between 1946 to 1964 to be a Post War “baby boomer” which is about 76 million people).
The labor department predicts caregiving will be one of the top employers in the coming decade. Anyone seeking a job will find part-time and full-time employment opportunities as providing caregiving services.
What types of companies will hire you Senior home care agencies, assisted living communities, nursing homes, hospices and hospitals.
What types of skills are required? Companion caregiving requires a compassionate personality and additional training may be provided by the hiring company to develop skills for communicating with senior’s with memory loss, monitoring medications and recording daily activities. Nursing aides will be required to obtain certification by taking a course and passing a state exam. In some states there is also certification for home health aides which is specialized training for an aide working in the home, separate from a facility such as a nursing home or hospital.
What type of care do seniors require? Seniors who are experiencing memory loss may require assistance with meals, medication monitoring and companionship to keep their day on schedule. Senior’s who are challenged with mobility issues or have more advanced stages of memory loss or other age-related diseases or who are on hospice care, may require assistance with their personal care such as toileting, bathing and eating and perhaps help with transfers. Seniors who are bedridden often require a caregiver with nursing aide skills to assist them.
You can find out if you would enjoy being a senior caregiver by applying for a part-time position as weekend and evening caregivers are often needed. You can also take a sample nursing test to learn about the skills required for certification.
About the Author:
Julie A. Northcutt, President of Caregiverlist.com, works to connect seniors and their loved ones with quality senior care options and caregivers with employment opportunities. Caregiverlist.com provides information on elderly care and assists in finding premier senior home care agencies by qualifying your care needs and required services and providing information on all senior care options. http://www.caregiverlist.com
As our population ages, caring for the elderly becomes a bigger and bigger dilemma. Many baby boomers are now faced with caring for their elderly parents or finding someone else to help. If they must work all day, these adult children of the elderly may find it difficult to find the right person to take care of their parents or other elderly family members.
Caregivers tend to be women but many men do an excellent job as well. When looking for someone to take care of an aging family member consider these things:
· Where will your elderly relative want to live? Most people are more comfortable staying in their own home. Even if they have only lived there for a short time it is the place they call home and they do not want to move. If they have lived in their home for many years it may be almost impossible to ask them to move. You do not want to ask your elderly relative to do something that may damage them psychologically. If they are already having physical health problems you should avoid compounding the problems.
· Will they be able to care for their personal hygiene needs, such as bathing and using the toilet? One of the most basic forms of independence we have is that of being able to care for our personal needs of bathing and toileting. To have to rely on a stranger’s help is difficult beyond belief.
Finding someone to act as a caregiver to our elderly relative may not be an easy thing to do. Older people become frustrated and angry when their independence and privacy are threatened. At times they may be hostile, cruel, or abusive to those who attempt to care for them. Conversely, caregivers to the elderly may react the same way back to the elderly.
Attempt to have a family member care for the older person. Someone who is known to them may be better equipped to handle the situation. Ask neighbors and agencies if they can recommend someone who has experience in elder care. Check all references to make sure the caregiver will act appropriately with your family member.
As the baby boomers continue to age and our population as a whole gets older, elder care will become an even bigger issue than it is today. There are no simple answers or solutions to questions and problems that may arise when trying to find a caregiver for an elderly parent or other relative.
About the Author:
Connie Ragen Green is a motivational author and speaker. Visit her at http://www.ReinventYourLifeWithPassion.com
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