Caregivers make a significant difference in the lives of their loved ones. Taking care of an elderly loved one can be fulfilling and rewarding, but managing and coordinating care is a huge responsibility. It can be challenging for caregivers to provide physical, emotional, and financial support to their loved ones while also trying to manage their own stress levels and quality of life. In this article, we’ll look at what caregivers do and how to find caregiver support and services to minimize stress, so you can better enjoy the positive aspects of caregiving.
What are caregivers?
A caregiver is an individual who assists an elderly person who can no longer care for themselves independently.
This includes family caregivers, informal caregivers, professional caregivers, home health aides, and more.
Read our Caring for Aging Parents Playbook here.
What are the roles of caregivers?
Caregiving is a complex, demanding role that includes tasks like:
- Assistance with daily activities like bathing, dressing, and grooming
- Medication management and adherence
- Transportation
- Meal preparation
- Grocery shopping
- Coordination of healthcare needs
- Assistance with financial matters like managing bills and handling insurance claims
Along with the physical tasks of caregiving, caregivers often must provide emotional support, too. They provide companionship, monitor their mental health, maintain their social calendars, and encourage them to stay engaged with the world.
What is caregiver support?
Caregiving requires a lot of time, effort, energy, and patience. It’s not uncommon for family caregivers to experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression trying to balance all their responsibilities and demands. Feelings of guilt and frustration are commonplace among family caregivers trying to juggle work, family, and caregiving.
That doesn’t make caregiving any less rewarding, fulfilling, or essential. It just means that caregivers need to be purposeful about pursuing caregiver support and caregiver services.
What are some of the caregiver services to help minimize workload?
- Respite care provides temporary relief for caregivers. Professional in-home caregivers will provide part-time or short-term care while the caregiver takes time off.
- Home health care services can help elderly individuals live independently at home while relying less on their family caregivers. If you are feeling overwhelmed as a full-time caregiver, consider hiring a part-time professional caregiver or specialized therapists like physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, or nutritionists.
- Adult daycare programs offer a safe, stimulating environment for elderly individuals during the day while caregivers are handling other responsibilities. These include social activities, meals, and medical supervision during the day.
GoGoGrandparent is an extension of your care team to help your loved one retain their independence while addressing some common caregiving needs. Here are some ways GoGo offers caregiver support:
- GoGo Rides lets your loved one take safe, reliable rides wherever they need to go, so you aren’t responsible for all their transportation needs.
- GoGo Groceries delivers your groceries right to your loved one’s door, saving hours every week on grocery shopping.
- GoGo Gourmet delivers healthy takeout options, so your parent can have hot, fresh meals that meet their dietary restrictions.
- GoGo Prescriptions delivers medications, so you and your family don’t have to wait around at the pharmacy all day.
- GoGo Home Services connects you to home professionals who are thoroughly screened and vetted, so you can have peace of mind about the people going into your loved one’s home. This includes dog walkers, housekeepers, handymen, and more. We can even help you find local, professional caregivers through this service.
- Family caregivers love the GoGo Family Dashboard, which lets you monitor and pay for some or all of your parent’s services.
- Best yet, our GoGo Guardians are constantly vetting and monitoring all interactions, so you can feel confident that your loved one is cared for at all times – even when you can’t be around.
What are some caregiver support systems to manage the emotional load?
- Counseling and caregiver support groups offer guidance and encouragement. This is a great way to connect with other caregivers going through similar experiences.
- Education and training programs can help caregivers develop their skills to provide effective care. These caregiver support classes can cover a range of topics, including medication management, stress management, care design, meal planning, and more.
- Financial assistance programs can help caregivers manage the costs of caring for loved ones, which is one of the biggest stressors for caregivers.
Learn about more services for seniors and caregivers here.
Caregiver support
Being a caregiver to an elderly loved one is both challenging and rewarding. You do not need to sacrifice your own health and well-being to be a great caregiver. With caregiver support and services like GoGoGrandparent, you can more effectively manage the different responsibilities of caregiving.
Register with GoGoGrandparent to take a load off your plate. GoGo offers your loved one independence, freedom of movement, and reliable services – while you get peace of mind that our GoGoGuardians care for your family member every step of the way.
