On a bad day, it's easy to be too hard on yourself as a caregiver and to ask yourself why you aren't doing more. If that's how you're feeling, these steps might help you to get some perspective.
Write out What You Think a Caregiver Should Do
Implicit in the belief that you're not doing enough is a checklist of everything that you think a caregiver should be doing. So take a minute or two and write out what you think you should be doing every day or every week as a caregiver. Be sure to include all of the things that you regularly beat yourself up for not doing.
Now Take Some Time and Track What You Actually Do
You've got the ideal checklist, so now it's time to track a bit of what you actually do. This sounds like a pain, but it's an important part of realizing just what you do and just how long it takes. You're likely going to start noticing that there are some emergent tasks that pop up often during your day. Emergent tasks are those that aren't tasks you expected to handle, but that have to be done. You probably also spend big amounts of time doing something else, like going to work.
Compare the Lists
There's a lot to consider when you're comparing these lists. First of all, people tend to have no idea how long certain tasks take, especially if they're complicated or difficult. So as you look at the lists, you'll start to see where you're under- or overestimating what you can do on a given day or concerning a given task. Eventually you might start to see a pattern. You're doing what you can with the resources at your disposal.
Narrow Down What You Can Delegate
So now you're at a point where you might need to look at how to increase the resources at your disposal. One of the best ways to do this is by delegating tasks wherever possible. Senior care providers can handle a variety of tasks for both you and your aging adult. That frees up some of the time that you need to devote to other activities. Before long your ideal list and your actual list are going to look a lot more similar.
You do a lot more than you believe as a caregiver. The key is to acknowledge what you're doing and to find ways to give yourself breathing room. You'll also be able to focus on the parts of caregiving that you enjoy so that you're able to spend more quality time with your aging family member.
If you are considering hiring senior care in Layton, UT, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors of Ogden, UT. Call today 801-821-4535.