What to Do If You Need to Become a Caregiver
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ions of people care for elderly and/or disabled loved ones. Start by researching the disease or condition and formulating a plan. Ease the financial burden by looking into assistance programs, nonprofits, and insurance plans. Also, don’t forget to practice self-care and ask for help from friends, family, and professionals.
By Lora Korpar
Disabilities and old age affect more than just the people dealing with them. Many people step in to care for loved ones when they can no longer care for themselves.
Anyone can be a caregiver. Maybe one of your parents has dementia, or you have a child with a disability. Caregivers help with daily tasks like dressing, cooking, transporting, and managing medication for their loved ones.
According to former first lady Rosalynn Carter , “There are only four kinds of people in this world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers. Caregiving is universal.”
Caregiving is even more prevalent post-pandemic. AARP reported an estimated 53 million — or more than one in five — U.S. adults were caregivers in 2020. This is nearly 10 million more than the number of caregivers in 2015.
Becoming a caregiver is no easy task, so it is important to know where to start.
What Are the First Steps to Becoming a Caregiver?
The first step to effective caregiving is to educate yourself on your loved one’s condition.?
“They need to learn about the disease and the disease progression that their loved one is going through so that they can know what to expect and can prepare,” said Debbie Compton, an author and the founder and CEO of caregiving consulting company The Purple Vine.
However, a Google search can only go so far. Researching a disease can also be overwhelming with its medical jargon and scary list of side effects. Supplement your research by reaching out to others who care for someone with the same condition.
“When I suddenly became a caregiver of my dad with Parkinson's, my mother-in-law with Alzheimer's, and my mom with vascular dementia, I didn't have any idea what I was doing,” Compton said. “And I did tons of research online, and I found a lot of information about the disease, but I didn't find a lot of how to deal with it. What can I do? What are practical steps?”
Helen Anderson, the founder of in-home senior care agency HelloCare, said to speak with the loved one’s medical care team. If they were hospitalized, ask the discharge planner or case manager what resources they can refer you to.
“They can tell you who the go-to players are when it comes to different services for caregiving,” Anderson said. “What you might find is that the person you're caring for is eligible for home physical therapy, a bath aide, or occupational therapy. And you want to get them connected with all of these different resources as soon as possible so that you have more people on your team.”?
It is easier to formulate a consistent care plan once you know what kind of care your loved one needs and is eligible for. Routine can help maintain stability, so develop one that works for you and the one you care for.
How to Handle the Financial Burden of Caregiving
Caregiving is expensive. A 2021 AARP survey found that U.S. caregivers spent an average of 26% of their income on “caregiving activities.” Caregivers might also take on financial responsibilities for the family member, like their mortgage or medical payments.
In some cases, caregivers must take time off of work to provide the care their loved ones need.
Start by exploring your coverage options. The person you care for may qualify for Medicaid/Medicare, disability assistance, prescription discounts, or other assistance programs. Search your state’s health care program’s website to learn more.
Long-term care insurance plans can help reduce costs, so determine whether that is the right option.
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Many nonprofits also offer caregiving assistance. Some organizations have durable medical equipment lending programs, so explore your area’s programs before buying equipment.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your family and friends. Caregiving is easier and cheaper when a group can divide the responsibilities.
“Recruit other people to help with different care throughout the day — maybe it's driving to a doctor's appointment, making breakfast for someone, or cleaning the house,” Anderson said. “All of those different tasks, if one person is doing them, it can be overwhelming. We have people in our lives that might not be comfortable with hands-on care, but might be comfortable with other parts of that caregiving job that can take some of the load off of the primary person.”
If you need to take time off from work, have a conversation with your employer. Ask your human resources representative if they have paid leave options. If they don’t, now is the time to use your PTO.
“Just be honest with them and tell them what's going on and that you're having to care for this loved one,” Compton said. “Employers today are typically much more flexible than they used to be. And they're going to have to get more [flexible] because the number one risk factor for Alzheimer's is age. And we're living longer now. So as the Baby Boomers age, the number of caregivers is going to go up dramatically. ”
How to Take Care of Mental Health While Caregiving
Caregiving is not just a physical and financial weight. It can take an emotional toll. Don’t forget to make time for self-care.
“Take a little bit of time to do something that you enjoy doing every day, even if it's just a few minutes,” Compton said. “Go for a walk, exercise, read a book — whatever it is that gives you some peace, but you have to do something for yourself so that you don't completely lose yourself.”
“Sometimes it is really exhausting, and at the end of the day, that primary caregiver might not have the energy to go do a class or meet a friend for dinner,” Anderson added. “So it's really important that we make the job of caregiving as sustainable as possible, and that means having more people on the team if possible.”
Consider hiring a professional caregiver to help you if you have the finances for one. In-home care agencies can also help with medical management.
“It puts another member on your team that speaks the language of the doctors and the nurses that are doing the care for your loved one and can advocate effectively when you feel like someone isn't getting the attention you think they need or they're being misdiagnosed,” Anderson said.
“There are a lot of things to consider about the local resources that are available… I would be sure that I'm asking about the plan for covering call-ins, how involved a nurse is in the care of your loved one, and then the goals for care. Goals should reflect some level of increased or maintained independence, reduce or eliminate hospitalizations, and connecting with therapies such as home health and physical therapy.”
If you can’t hire a professional, ask friends and family to help make the load lighter. And stay in tune with your thoughts and feelings as you continue in your caregiving journey.
“Writing down your emotions — when you're upset, angry, and those happy little funny things that happen throughout the day that you don't want to forget — writing those down really helps the caregiver,” Compton said. “That's also how I was able to figure out what was going on with my dad's hallucinations — by writing down everything and then going back and reading through it to find the common thread and to be able to find the solution to fix it for him. So it's good therapy.?
“And I think caregivers really need to lighten up and not take themselves so seriously… Let go of perfectionism because it's not going to be perfect. The faster you can let go of that, the happier you will be.”
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How to Become a Caregiver
Student at Abia State University
1 年Would love to be a caregiver