How Can You Keep from Losing Your Cool Near the End of Your Senior’s Life?
As your senior’s health continues to worsen, you may find that you’re feeling more and more out of control or upset. There are some things that you can do that can help you to maintain your composure if you’re feeling a little out of your element.
Learn as Much as Possible about What She Needs
Talk to your family member’s doctor and make sure that you understand as much as you can about her current health issues. This can go a long way toward calming any feelings you have that this situation is out of your control and that there’s too much going on. Having access to as much data as you can manage can help you to calm your fears as your senior’s condition worsens.
Take Everything One Step at a Time
If you’re still trying to multitask, now is definitely the time to give that habit up. You need to be able to focus on just one thing at a time so that you can process what is happening as you go. The more help that you have at this time the better, of course. Every task, problem, or challenge that you can break down into smaller chunks needs to be broken down. This also helps you to delegate more readily.
Join a Support Group as Soon as Possible
It’s no understatement at all that you need as much emotional support as you can find. Joining a support group allows you to meet and to talk with other family caregivers who have been where you are and who are going through the same thing along with you. This gives you an immense opportunity to vent and to talk with people who are intimately acquainted with the same situation you’re facing.
Take Time Just for You
Don’t forget your own self-care during this time. You might be tempted to put that on the back burner because there’s so much else going on. But your self-care habits could very well be what allow you to keep your cool during this difficult time. Take the time that you need to support yourself so that you can support the other people in your life.
Take advantage of all the help that you can possibly amass. Hospice elder care providers, in particular, can allow you peace of mind while you take care of yourself and your needs. They can be there for your senior and alert you to situations that might pop up while you’re away.