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4 Ways to Break the Guilt Cycle in Adult Children
Posted by Scott Cantin in caregiver burnout, caregiver stress, caregiving tips, elderly care, mental health, Senior Care | 0 comments
There are two sides to becoming an adult. On one hand, you finally get the liberty to leave your parents’ home, run your life as you’d like, and begin working towards your dreams.
On the other hand, you stop being as available as you used to. This fact often leads to feelings of unmet expectations for parents, and many adult children begin feeling guilty.
Guilt can lead to prolonged unhappiness, anxiety, and other mental health issues. The good news is that you can break the guilt cycle. This blog shares helpful tips.
1. Discuss Needs Openly
Mental Health America revealed that 54% of American adults in their 40s have a parent aged 65 or older and are raising a child under 18 or have an adult child they have helped financially in the past year.
These caregivers grapple with different complex emotions, including guilt caused by a sense of loss of independence as the responsibility of caregiving becomes more pronounced.
However, discussing needs and expectations openly with your parents can reduce negative feelings. For example, if your parents say you barely call, you can create a calling schedule. This way, everyone feels heard and understood.
You can also agree to a more manageable budget and ways to reduce spending so you’re not overwhelmed with bills.
2. Compromise
Say your parents live far away from you, and your job and other demands make a trip to see them virtually impossible. You can arrange for them to see you instead and spend a few days at your house.
Choose seasons where you have more time to spare –for example, during your annual leave or the holidays –and plan for things to do together. The activities depend on what your parent or parents love to do. Maybe your mom enjoys sharing a good meal, or your dad loves catching a live football game or playing cards. These moments are bound to create memories and build anticipation for the next time you meet.
3. Build a Culture of Expressing Appreciation to One Another
You’d be surprised how far simple words of appreciation go. For instance, end a phone call by saying, ‘I missed chatting with you like this. Can I call you again this weekend?’
You can put words on a text or card, too. The point is to let them know they are wanted and you love them. Appreciation produces oxytocin (the love hormone), which promotes connection between people.
While at it, communicate unavailability when schedules collide instead of failing to show up and talk about reschedules.
4. Find them Affordable Quality In-home Care Services
Many aging parents who need long-term care prefer receiving caregiver services in Miami offered at home rather than going to a care facility.
Recent research by National Library of Medicine shows home healthcare helps save on costs while being as effective as hospital care. Caregiver services in Miami also reduce the chances of hospital readmissions. Further, they can have more visits from their friends and other family members.
Seeking senior care in Miami has become an easy solution for many caregivers who can’t take care of their loved ones themselves. If your elderly parent lives in Miami, you can benefit from professional and compassionate in-home care services in Miami and then work your schedule to allow visitations, phone calls, or face timing.
Lastly
Culture holds that parents and children should have a great relationship. Because life is not linear, unmet expectations pile up, and adult children may struggle with guilt and feelings of failure.
If not fixed, this guilt can prevent you from enjoying a good relationship with your parents and become intergenerational. These tips can help you break the cycle and prevent your kids from getting trapped in the same cycle.
Advanced Care offers help by providing world-class home care services in Florida. We care about you and your relationships and provide caregiver services in Kendall, North Miami, Miami Beach, and Coral Gables. Our warm caregivers do everything in-home care services require –from bathing to Alzheimer’s and dementia care to palliative care and help to pay bills. Feel free to contact us today and we’ll be more than willing to assist!
The Truth of Money Burdens in Caregiving
Posted by Scott Cantin in caregiver burnout, caregiver stress, home care | 0 comments
Contrary to popular belief, caregivers are not professionals trained in schools, the majority of their training is being done at home by a relative or a close friend. It may be a spouse, a daughter or a son, an in-law or their best friend. In fact, 70% of caregivers are composed of these people. Though we are trained since we were young to prepare for a life outside the classroom and to be able to support our own families, we are not as prepared to face a life that few people are prepared for: elderly care.
The Basic Caregiver Survival Guide
Posted by Scott Cantin in caregiver burnout, caregiving | 0 comments
You only grow elderly once in your lifetime, this is something many fail to see whenever they care for a senior. Yes, you may be caring for someone, but some day you will be in their shoes and that’s why it is important for caregivers to give the best for their seniors. However, we do admit that not everyone is perfect and caring for a senior is not a walk in the park.
The life of a caregiver is very demanding, especially with all the expectations and adjustments that one has to go through, but that doesn’t mean you have to forget about yourself. Here are a few ways on how you can survive as a caregiver.
Are You An Alzheimer’s Caregiver? 5 Strategies to Reduce Caregiver Burnout
Posted by Scott Cantin in Alzheimer's Disease, caregiver burnout, caregiver stress | 0 comments
Being an Alzheimer’s caregiver can be a stressful profession. Not only will you want to fulfill the expected duties of a caregiver but you also have to deal with patients with special needs, such as those with Alzheimer. Caregiving can be a daunting task, so if you are a caregiver it’s normal to feel stressed and fatigued. This is natural as Caregiving is strenuous task, however you should always remember to give yourself time to recover. Remember that you can only do so much.
