Home Care: When you have young children of your own, being a caregiver for an aging parent, grandparent, or other family member is only going to compound the difficulties you face.
Children need their mothers and fathers. Whether you are a single parent, have been married for many years, are still struggling to date and find the perfect partner, or are just trying to figure your way through these trying teenage years, that child needs you. You know that, too. However, this aging senior also needs your support. It might be your mother or father, grandparent, your spouse, a sibling, or maybe it’s a close friend, somebody you consider to be just like a brother or sister. You aren’t going to turn your back on them, but when push comes to shove, what can you do? Home care can help.
Home care is a great option to consider.
Many people take on the incredibly important and valuable role of a family caregiver because of a sense of responsibility and duty. Some people do it because, if they don’t, they feel a sense of guilt overwhelming them.
Whatever drove you to become this primary caregiver for another person in your family besides your children, you end up feeling torn between the two. You want to be there for your child or children, but also for this aging or disabled adult in the family.
You don’t have to choose between the two. You can turn to home care. Home care doesn’t have to replace you. It doesn’t have to be around-the-clock care or even full-time care during the week.
When you rely on an agency to provide these invaluable supports for you or somebody else in the family, you can hire somebody for a few hours a week, if that’s all you need. For example, two hours in the morning every day of the week could give you the time you need to focus on your children, to get them up and ready for school, spend a nice, casual breakfast together, and see them off in the morning.
Or perhaps you would rather have a home care aide supporting this senior during the evening hours so you can help your children with homework, be there when they have difficulties with their friendships, sports, or other times we all remember growing up.
Children may also be an amazing comfort during these difficult times.
If this is your aging mother, for example, who is depending on you, a lot of emotions are probably hitting you every day. You see her frailty, her need for you, and how things are changing… too fast.
Your children are going to be a great comfort to you. Younger children have great insights that we tend to overlook. Teenagers can mature faster when they are helping to support an aging loved one.
Make no mistake, though, nothing is going to be a more valuable asset to helping you continue being a great mom to your children while being there for this aging senior in your family. Home Care is an excellent option call an agency today.