Choosing to care for aging parents at home is a meaningful decision—one that allows them to remain in familiar surroundings while maintaining a sense of dignity and independence. But as time goes on, many families realize that they need more support. If you’re considering hiring a caregiver for in-home help, you’re not alone—and it’s often one of the best steps you can take to ensure your loved one’s safety and peace of mind.
Here’s a closer look at how to assess your needs, avoid caregiver burnout, and find the right in-home care solution for your family.
Be realistic in realizing how much care is needed.
When you are overwhelmed with a long list of caregiving to-dos, you are more focused on individual tasks rather than the larger picture. To help combat this stress, take a step back and determine how much care your parent(s) needs. First, make a list of the daily, weekly, and monthly care tasks to help you understand how much help is needed. An easy way to do this is by leaving a notepad out and making a quick note every time you or someone else helps your senior with something. After a week or so, you will have a much better idea of what your aging parent needs to help with, and at what times of the day. Moving forward, you will understand the types of care your aging parent truly needs.
Be honest with yourself and others about how much you can provide.
Learning how to care for aging parents at home can lead to burnout or a serious health condition–leaving you unable to take care of anyone else. When you are evaluating your parents’ needs, be realistic about how much you really can provide for them without harming your health. Hiring a caregiver for in-home help can relieve stress, ensure consistent care, and prevent the emotional and physical toll that caregiving alone can cause. Remember: asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Ask for help with caregiving.
The best way to be proactive about care for aging parents is to get help. Even though it may seem like finding caregiving takes too much time and effort, this is an investment that will pay off in the future! Luckily, Arms of Angels Homecare makes this process easy. We are devoted to providing high-quality and affordable in-home care services to all of our clients. With our individualized matching process, we assess our client’s needs and preferences instead of simply filling the vacancy with whoever is available. Our goal is to always understand our seniors’ needs to the best of our ability.
Share the caregiving responsibility.
Similar to gaining help with caregiving, you will want to share some of the responsibility when it comes to taking care of aging parents. Ask siblings or close relatives if they would take on their share of responsibility. This will give you an opportunity for some much-needed rest. Getting help from family members is different for everyone. For one person, it could be moving mom to the brother’s house for a year. For another person, it could be taking turns living with dad for a month or two at a time. If you have family willing to help, be creative and flexible. It may not be the ideal situation, but any help will lessen your responsibility for you.
Care for aging parents at home, and reduce financial pressure.
Finally, our last tip to help keep aging parents in their homes is to reduce financial pressure as much as possible. Caring for an older adult can place a significant financial burden on your family, and reducing caregiving costs as much as possible helps. At Sunny Days, we have several options available to you when it comes to in-home care payments. Any of our staff members would be more than willing to help you understand these payment options!
End Note:
Hiring a caregiver for in-home help can be one of the most empowering decisions you make for your family. With over 10 years of experience and 500+ dedicated caregivers, Sunny Days Great Lakes In-Home Care is committed to helping families provide compassionate, personalized care at home. Whether you’re just starting to explore care options or urgently need support, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you create a safer, healthier, and happier home for your aging loved one.
