We often feel the stress of rushing to do everything during the holiday season. And if you are a caregiver or caretaker of a senior in your world, you might have additional stress.
Caring for a family member who has health problems or needs memory care is difficult. But don’t let the stress take its toll on you. There are some things you can do to battle the stress. It is really important to take care of you. Here are some tips offered by experts.
• Exercise: Stretch the muscles and get the heart pumping, breathe fresh air and take a break from your responsibilities. Get to the gym, shoot some hoops or just take a walk and release some endorphins that give you a sense of well-being.
• Meditation: It is a simple, low-cost way to balance your physical, mental and emotional states. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization and Tai Chi can be powerful antidotes to stress. Check out the local community centers, martial arts centers, parks department or senior center classes to learn some of these techniques.
• Medication: If exercise and meditation are not enough, your doctor can prescribe a variety of medications to battle stress and depression.
There are other things you can do. Avoid some of the things you take on and learn to say no or ask for help. Many friends and family are glad to help and support you.
Alter or change some of the things you might have done in the past. Maybe you don’t need to bake pumpkin and apple pie for dinner. Accept help from others if they are offering it, or ask for help from others if you need to.
My sister, who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, calls me regularly and just says, “Thanks for taking such good care of our mom.” For me, that goes a long way.
Adapt to your new responsibilities – plan ahead, prioritize and create a schedule.
Caring from a distance can be heartbreaking for busy daughters and sons struggling to maintain a balance among work commitments, their families and the needs of their aging parents. If you are one of the 16 million Americans who are sandwiched between generations, you might wonder how you can best maintain balance in your life and help your aging parents.
It’s best to work on a plan to help your parents or loved ones take the next step. Caring for aging parents and helping them make the right decisions to take the next step might not be easy. It’s best to be armed with the right information by having focused conversations with doctors, care professionals and tour assisted living communities.
During the holidays, as you spend time together, it’s the perfect time to have some of these conversations so that good decisions can be made with your loved ones. By doing so, you can avoid the stress.
Linda Morris, marketing director at Auburn Meadows, can be reached at 253-333-0171. Auburn Meadows is holding a holiday boutique on Dec. 6 and bake sale on Dec. 15 to help raise money for the Auburn Food Bank.
