When an aging adult is ailing and can no longer care for themselves, their families are silent care coordinators. Someone has to oversee the care of those who are dependent, and often that job falls on the closest family member. With older adults it usually falls to the oldest adult daughter and sometimes the daughter-in-law.
The biggest issues for these silent care coordinators are time and energy – most times these individuals have had no education on the illness or in managing all the details of someone who is dependent with medical or cognitive challenges.
These heroic family members put in an 80-hour work week and don’t always get the recognition or appreciation from the one being cared for or from their siblings. It can be a thankless job of love.
I would highly recommend one step to prevent burnout, and that would be to attend a support group a few times a month to give you ideas, resources, and support. The second recommendation is to meet with a Professional Care Manager, sometimes called an Aging Life Care Expert™, at least quarterly to oversee care plans, get ideas, and become aware of new technology, resources or entitlements they could source for the person who needs care.
None of us should travel this journey alone – if we do, the person we love and care about could be losing out on new treatments, new community resources, and/or entitlements.
If you find yourself in this position, arrange a meeting with a professional to be sure you are on the right path, and to ensure that you don’t burn out. Love is everlasting, but energy is limited.
Give us a call at Eldercare – if we can’t serve your area, we are connected to a National Network that can help you find a professional Care Manager anywhere in the US and most of Canada.