November 14, 2018 | Aging Life Care
Contributed by Martha Rañón
Director of Government & Community Affairs
For some, the holidays are a time of joy, celebrations, being with family and friends, enjoying dinners and get-togethers. It can be a time for cooking, playing and gift giving. However, for those who are caring for the well-being of someone and are in the role of caregiving, the holidays can mean something totally different.
I often hear from family caregivers who are so overwhelmed by the impending holidays that they rather skip them all together. For them, it can be a time of stress, guilt, tensions, and negative experiences. This is understandable. As family caregivers, we put a lot of responsibility on ourselves to “perform” and meet everyone’s expectations. The dinner must be just right, the decorations perfect, and all the details that come with gift giving must be properly considered. But what if we simplified the holidays?
Here are some steps that can help you manage your caregiving responsibilities during the holidays while enjoying getting together with family and friends.
- Re-evaluate your family/holiday traditions
- Focus on celebrating memories
- Keep decorations to a minimum
- Smaller gatherings are less stressful than larger crowds
- Celebrate earlier in the day when you and your loved ones are less tired
- Provide soothing activities
- Modify your expectations
- Ask for help
- Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about your feelings
- Start your gift buying early
Are you assisting or concerned about a family member or friend?
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Southern Caregiver Resource Center can help you by providing specialized information, one-on- one support, counseling, support groups, respite, education and will help you create a care plan for you and your loved one.
For more information on these FREE support services, please contact us at:
1800-827-1008 • (858) 268-4432