Seven Things to Expect When you Start Caring for a Senior

As many children of aging seniors may be experiencing during this pandemic and time of isolation, caregiving for seniors is a tremendous job. We’re here to support you with the resources and help you may need.

These tips come to you from Cindy Swanson, a Caregiver Advisor for clients of Fairview’s Caregiver Assurance program.

1.The situation could be more demanding than you thought.

Your aging relative or friend’s need for help has probably been coming on gradually, as they’ve become less capable of managing the demands of daily life – like keeping up the house. It may be hard for them to admit to you they can’t mow the yard anymore or lift the ladder to clean out the gutters. So be prepared: Once you start helping a senior, you may discover they need more help than you thought.

2.You may need to set some realistic boundaries.

“A common thing that happens is that someone’s in the hospital – maybe it’s mom’s first fall – and she’ll tell the social worker: ‘My daughter can stop by every night after work and bring me meals.’ It’s not uncommon for someone in the hospital to say they have family that can do all this without talking to the family,” Cindy says. “The daughter will say: ‘I live 30 miles away on the other side of the cities. It’ll take me an hour to get there after work. I can’t do that.’ What a parent sees as realistic may not be the same as reality." Especially if you’re juggling a career and your own family on top of helping a parent stay in their own home, you may find yourself spread a little thin.

3.Your senior’s new situation may reignite old family tensions.

What’s happening with your parents in their later years is emotional enough, but coming to a consensus about what to do can be rough on even the tightest of siblings.

Even if you agree to be the main caregiver at the start, you may end up feeling like your siblings aren’t pitching in enough. They may feel like they aren’t getting enough of a say. It’s easy in these situations to revert to old childhood patterns and bring up old hurts. Cindy or one of our other Caregiver Advisors can help you manage a family conference to work through some of those issues.

4.Caregiving can take a toll on your work life.

Cindy knows a thing or two about that. Not only has she helped coach people through this, but she has firsthand experience. She helped take care of her parents and her husband’s parents. “What happens is, you spend your whole lunch hour calling people, then you go back to work and you’re waiting for those callbacks. If you’re trying to do a report and making calls for your parent, your 8 to 5 schedule might become 8 to 7. Or you say, ‘I’ll do it at home,’ and you’re sitting there doing that report at 11 at night. How much sleep do you get?”

5.You’ll need to learn things you never needed to know before.

At your age, you may not know how often an older person should get a colonoscopy. Adult day care may be a complete mystery to you. And you certainly haven’t spent a lot of time investigating how to buy a Medicare plan. “You’re going to run into a whole lot of things you’ve never dealt with before,” Cindy says. Even a college-educated person may have difficulty navigating some of these situations. We can help with looking into financial planning, elder law attorneys, health directives, and any other area where you need support.

6.You’re a giver, so beware of neglecting yourself.

A person who takes on the role of caring for an elderly relative may naturally be the type who thinks of everyone else’s needs before their own. But that can last only so long.

The Advisors at Caregiver Assurance stress the importance of keeping your own glass full. “There was a time when it wasn’t accepted that you would put yourself first,” Cindy says. “It’s not about putting yourself first, but doing your caregiving AND knowing how to take care of yourself.”

7.Caring for a senior may be the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do.

That reward could be as simple as spending more time with your loved one and finally hearing the story behind a photo in the dining room. It could be peace of mind from knowing they’re safer when you check on them every day. It could be giving back to someone who has given so much to you.

No matter how frustrating or rewarding it is to help an aging loved one, you don’t have to do it alone. “There isn’t a classroom you can go to and learn all of this,” Cindy says. “Whatever the journey is, there’s help. If you have to make a right turn, there are people who are able to help you along. That’s what we’re trying to do here at Caregiver Assurance.”

If you or a loved one are a caregiver and need more support or resources, please visit the Caregiver Assurance website or call 612-672-CARE (2273) to speak with one of our Caregiver Advisors.

If you’re looking for information on Ebenezer communities that are accepting immediate move-ins for Assisted Living, Memory Care, or Enhanced Care, please contact us.