Learn more about CFSS in Minnesota
As our recent blog series on The Sandwich Generation pointed out, family caregiving is becoming increasingly common. Middle-aged adults are finding themselves providing home care for their baby boomer parents while also raising children of their own. Add to this a full-time work schedule and endless other commitments and it’s easy for a family caregiver to find themselves overworked and overwhelmed. Home caregivers in these situations will often fall victim to caregiver stress - a physical and emotional pressure that comes from undertaking too many home health care tasks.
While caregiver stress affects thousands of family caregivers each year, there is another (potentially more harmful) grievance that affects caregivers in the Sandwich Generation. Here at Best Home Care, one of the most frequent complaints we hear from family caregivers is not feeling valued.
When caring for a family member, feeling undervalued and not recognizing your worth is a tough reality. You may feel that your loved one doesn’t realize or appreciate all the sacrifices you’ve made to care for them. You may become angry with other siblings for not pulling their weight in caring for a parent. This unrest will often spill over and affect other areas of the family caregiver’s professional and personal life and amplify the effects of caregiver stress.
How Can Family Caregivers Combat Feeling Undervalued?
Journaling: Give yourself credit by taking notes on all the caregiving tasks you accomplish each day. Documenting these home care services might help you to appreciate how much you do and all you give.
Support Groups: Joining a group of likeminded caregivers is a great way to voice your concerns and stresses to people that can relate. These caregiver support groups can be found right in your community or online.
Friends and Family: Voice your stress to those closest to you and don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you feel overwhelmed, asking for assistance should be your first step.
Best Home Care is committed to providing family caregivers with the resources and caregiver support needed to navigate home care services. Contact us today to learn more about our home care resources and how to get paid to take care of a family member!
