It takes a village, that is likely the first time I have used that phrase, frankly it is uncomfortable for me to utter. No one has been more fiercely independent, more committed to doing it myself, if for no other reason saving money. Does anyone else relate? However, for anyone who has taken on the responsibility of being caregivers for older family members let me make a strong suggestion you look at what help you can bring to your team.
When you try to do it all yourself, you move from being a son or daughter and shift to becoming some level of employee and maybe even boss. This can strain relationships. Further as your loved ones are experiencing changes that restrict their own independence that is when they need you more as that loving son and daughter. If you can offload some of your load then you can be that family member they need so desperately again.
As someone who has always been a penny pincher myself, I found it difficult to understand the difference between spending money and investing in those relationships. But let me encourage you to reconsider, in other words, learn from my mistakes. Rather than trying to save money by "doing it myself" we could have saved ourselves so much time and problems. Rather than spending every free weekend for eighteen months to clean out my in-law's home and hour away, or sixty days cleaning out my parents house and barns, we could have hired someone like Caring Transitions to take care of it for us and get out lives back.
Had we learned about what an Elder attorney actually did we wouldn't have had to fight with VA for eighteen months to get the benefits my father in law needed and had earned, vs the few weeks that the attorney got for my uncle. If you are a caregiver, understand that there are so many out there who can help. In Home Care, in Home Health Care, Day Care, Respite care, to help you make it through your day.
There are no shortage of resources, only a shortage of knowledge of what is available and how to access it. We created a new portal to help people find such resources where you can go look around without concern of people calling you without you reaching out to them individually. Here is a link to a Village www.lifescopilot.com
Guest Blogger, Jim Morgan, Director of Outreach for Caring Transitions Indy North