It’s been a few weeks or even several months since you began providing care and support for your father. He might be in his 70s, 80s, or 90s and could very well be living alone. After a recent medical emergency that led him to the hospital, the doctors said he needed proper care and support when he was discharged and sent home. You’re the one who stepped up and volunteered to help him out.
You felt this was your responsibility.
You didn’t really think twice about it. You knew this was your responsibility. He was going to need assistance and since you lived in the same town it only made sense. What you may not have expected when you volunteered to be his primary caregiver was the stress you’d experience as a result.
Whether or not you’re working a full-time job, caregiving is a stressful situation.
There are many things you have to worry about. You may be concerned about his safety. What’s going to happen if he tries to get up and move about the house or do something when you’re not there? If you’re working a full-time job and have a career, things can be even tougher because you simply can’t drop what you’re doing and go over to be with him.
The average commute for most Americans to their full-time job is over 20 minutes. You simply can’t cut out from work to swing by his house on your lunch break, unless you get an hour or even two hours for that break.
You worry about him.
Worry is a great stressor in life. When we’re worried about our finances, a loved one’s health, somebody’s safety, our children going off to college for the first time, and so much more, it can create a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety. The same is true when you’re concerned about your elderly father.
Has he fallen? Is he having trouble getting up from a chair? Did he forget something on the stove? Questions, once they begin, never seem to end. It brings you right back to your phone, ready to call and check in on him, almost every hour on the hour.
The more that stress begins to affect you, the more you need to understand the value and benefit to hiring a home care aide to help. You can hire somebody for just a couple of hours every day and that can alleviate so much stress from your life.
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Fairfax, VA, contact the caring staff at Access Home Care Inc. Proudly Serving Northern Virginia and Surroundings for over 12 years. Call Us: (703) 765-9350
“My desire to enter into nursing started when one of my older sisters died of kidney disease due to lack of care. At age 15, I decided to enter into nursing so that I could provide quality care to patients.Upon arrival in United States at 21 years of age, I enrolled in T.C Willliams School of Practical Nursing while working as a nursing assistant at a nursing home. I also worked as a part-time home health aide to take of the elderly. After completion of my practical nurse education, I worked in geriatric psychiatry unit at Dominion Hospital and Arlington Correctional facility mental health unit.
I completed Marymount University in 2001 and entered into Home Care as a field case manager.
I held that position for 2 years and as an Administrator, and for another 2 years until Access Home Care was found in 2004."
Today, Access Home Care has over 300 employees and 286 clients.
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