There are around 44.4 million Americans who take care of their aging parents. As parents lose the ability to take care of themselves, their children take it upon themselves to make sure their parents get the care they need. Consequently, more and more adults are having to build their schedules around their parents' needs. Not only can this be stressful, but time-consuming, as an average caregivers spends approximately 21 hours per week taking care of aging relatives or friends. There are a number of ways of making this situation less stressful:
1. To avoid sacrificing productivity time that
should be spent at their jobs, the family
members who are taking care of their aging
parents can hire a professional caregiver to
help take care of their parents.
2. Because there are special facilities designed
for aging people, there are many seniors
who choose to live there and have help
available on hand, should they need it.
3. For those who choose to take care of their
aging parents or relatives themselves, it
can be a great relief to know that they are
not alone. It is stress-relieving for them to
be able to connect with others who are
going through the same situations as they
are.
4. People who do choose to stay home full-
time and take care of their parents should
be sure to make some time to socialize
outside of their home, whether it be
spending time with friends or joining a local
book club.
5. Caregivers can turn to the Church, which, in
most cases, is very willing to help out,
whether it be financially or morally.
6. Friends and neighbors are encouraged to
invite the senior to special events, such as
barbecues or ball games. It is also important
to make the senior feel like an important
member of the community - some good
ways of doing that include asking them to
watch your cat while you go on vacation
for a few days or asking them to serve on a
board.
7. Neighbors of caregivers can help out by
offering to take care of the senior for a few
hours every week or by helping the
caregiver with household chores and
errands.