Senior Care News

The Lonely Feeling of being a Caregiver, and How to Overcome It

Caregiver in Rahway NJ

Caregiver in Rahway NJ

It’s late in the evening on a Friday. You’re stuck in rush-hour traffic staring at a sea of red taillights ahead of you. You Caregiver in Rahway NJ left work about an hour ago and even though it’s only 20 minutes to your father’s house, you seem like an eternity away.

When you first signed up to be a caregiver for him, you didn’t know what to expect. You knew at 82 years of age he was having difficulty tending to his own basic care and the last thing you wanted was for him to fall, get injured, and watch his health deteriorate quickly. The prospect of professional home care providers never really crossed your mind because considering how often he had been there for you through the years, you felt it was your duty and responsibility to return the favor.

As you sit in traffic watching the cars inch along the highway, listening to one old, overplayed song after another, you realize all of the things you used to do just a year ago.  Maybe you’re married and have children. Maybe those children have grown up and gone off to college and started their own lives. Maybe you haven’t spent much time with your husband or wife as of late.

You might have gotten into the habit of spending time with friends going out to dinner on a regular basis, enjoying each other’s company, but you haven’t seen them in months. The more you think about it, the more you begin to realize how lonely you are becoming. In the beginning you planned on checking in with your father a couple of days a week. After all, he was still capable of doing many things on his own, but the more you did for him, the more help he seemed to need.

Being a caregiver for a family member can certainly feel like a lonely job. Other family members may have offered to help out once in a while, but when you need them they never seem to answer the phone.  You used to talk to your best friend every day and vent to him or her about the frustrations you were experiencing. Now, though, your calls end up going to voicemail.

Many people underestimate the requirements of being a caregiver, even for a family member. The more time they devote to their aging parent or other loved one, the less time they have to devote to other people who are just as important in their life.

The best way to overcome this feeling of loneliness and isolation is to speak to the elderly individual about professional home care providers. Relying on a professional caregiver, even a couple of days a week, can free up enough time for you to spend with other people who are just as important in your life. That can help eliminate those feelings of loneliness.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring caregiver services near Rahway, NJ, call the caring staff at Helping Hands Home Care today at (908-418-4299).

Providing Home Care Services in all of Northern and Central NJ, including Clark, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Rahway, Linden, Summit, Edison, Elizabeth, Mountainside and the surrounding areas.

Robert D'Arienzo

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