The moment you begin taking care of an elderly parent who needs assistance, even if it’s only temporary, you become a caregiver. When you become a caregiver you will deal with stress. There’s no way around it; nearly every single caregiver providing support to an elderly or disabled family member feels stress and anxiety at some point in time.

You need to take care of yourself.

Even though this might be your mother or father, somebody to whom you feel you owe a lot, that’s not going to change how much stress and anxiety you feel over time. You need to accept that this is a stressful job.

It is a job.

Never underestimate the impact that being a family caregiver is going to have on your life. It is a job and needs to be treated as such. If you don’t treat it as a job, you may have a tendency to avoid going over to their house when they expect you to. You may be more inclined to delay a trip over there because of the stress you feel.

Eventually, this elderly loved one might mean more assistance.

Right now, he or she may only need support a couple of days a week. They may only need help doing the laundry, going shopping, or cleaning the house. Unfortunately, the more often people rely on assistance to do some of the tedious tasks around the house, the more they begin calling on that help time and time again.

You might find yourself swinging back over there several times a day, almost every day of the week. Just imagine how much stress that’s going to add to your life. Most family caregivers eventually give up exercise, eating healthy, and even spending time with their friends, spouse, and other loved ones because they’re in constant demand.

You need time off.

It’s important to take care of yourself. You can’t keep going full tilt without taking care of yourself. At the same time, how can you take care of yourself and this elderly loved one at the same time?

Hiring a home care aide, even if it’s just for one or two days a week for a couple of hours at a time, may be just what you need to provide yourself a break to focus on your own life and that can help you alleviate a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety you feel as a family caregiver.

If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Herndon, VA please contact the caring staff at Assisting Hands today. (703) 982-0050.