Home Care Services in Oswego, IL Can Relieve Caregiver Stress

Nothing can be quite as stressful as being a caretaker for someone who needs frequent assistance from a family member to live independently. Often aging parents require some kind of assistance around the house, too go shopping, or make medical appointments. However, licensed home care services can take some of the burden off family members or friends who are feeling the pinch of too many demands and not enough time.

Symptoms of caregiver stress include:

• Frustration and anger;

• Guilt because you may have to spread yourself too thin and it doesn’t seem like you can do anything as well as you’d like;

• Lonely because you have less time for a social life; and

• Exhaustion because you are too busy and don’t have enough time for your own needs.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the responsibility of providing more support than you have time for, it may be time to research what options exist for home health care and personal assistance.

Almost all communities have some kind help for the elderly or disabled, whether they’re community-sponsored or come from private health agencies. Medicare and Medicaid provide some limited benefits, while private insurers may have a wider scope. Meals and Wheels has meal delivery programs in many locations across the U.S., and other public agencies direct caregivers to local supporting agencies that provide specialized caretaking services for a specific clientele.

A licensed home care provider typically does full background checks before bringing on new employees, and these companies are often bonded and insured. They can take people shopping, to doctor visits, help with cleaning and cooking, or simply provide companionship for someone confined at home. You can turn some or all of the chores that you’ve been doing over to a care giver, or just those that you’re uncomfortable providing or don’t have the time to do.

Taking some of the burden off you may be enough to remove the caregiver stress you feel, whether it’s in the short term or for the foreseeable future. In any case, reaching out for support from home care agencies is the first step to living a more balanced, enjoyable life when you have many responsibilities for another.