Caretaking can often be a strenuous, stressful and emotionally taxing task. There are also often many challenges that you might face in taking care of your aging parents. A study carried out by the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving shows that more than 43 million American adults provided unpaid care, showing how prevalent the phenomenon is in the modern world. Therefore, here are some challenges in taking care of your aging parents.
Financial Drain
Being a caretaker can often lead to a financial burden on you given that the work is generally unpaid, and you may be spending decreasing amounts of time and effort on your actual paying job as a result of your caregiving duties. It is important to manage your finances and ensure that there is a sufficient budget for your loved one’s day-to-day life and healthcare needs. Your loved ones may also find themselves vulnerable to online scams and fraud, given that digital literacy amongst this demographic is low. Thereby as a caregiver, the responsibility of managing their finances may end up falling into your hands.
Healthcare Navigation
The issue of healthcare can often be a complicated task to navigate, especially if your loved one is living with a long-term or a chronic condition. It is important to help them coordinate their healthcare appointments with their different medical professionals, ensure that the medication that they are prescribed does not clash, as well as ensure that any medical supplies that they might need are always on hand. This can often be a challenging task to navigate, especially if you’re an amateur at caretaking.
Mental Health Issues
Another challenge in caretaking for your parents would be dealing with their potential mental health fallbacks. It is crucial to ensure that your loved ones are engaged socially and involved in the community so as to maintain a sense of self-esteem and identity and prevent social isolation which could lead to depression. This would entail having to bring them out to socially engaging activities. Additionally, as a caregiver yourself, you may be vulnerable to depression and social isolation as well. Thereby, it can be a challenge trying to balance both your own mental health as well as of your parents. Try to maintain a nice balance between your caregiving duties as well as pleasurable activities that boosts your mental health.
Join Us at Discovery Commons South Biscayne
If you are worried about the health of your loved ones, let Discovery Commons South Biscayne help your loved ones ensure not only achieve an active and healthy lifestyle. We offer reliable and efficient caregiving to meet your parents’ every need. Discovery Commons South Biscayne is dedicated to making sure that the residents have everything that it has to offer. We provide Dimensions Health and Wellness programs to stimulate the mind, body and soul as well as help your loved ones to boost their immune system. What are you waiting for? Contact us now to find out more about what we have to offer.
