As a caregiver, being responsible for the well-being and happiness of your loved one can come with a wide range of emotions. Most certainly in many, many ways it is a deeply rewarding role. However, we know with certainty that caring for your Dawsonville-area memory care loved one comes with challenge and cost to your mental and physical wellbeing.
If you’re the primary caregiver of a family member, you’ve given much of your time and effort toward making sure that your loved one can enjoy the highest quality of life possible. But what happens when you’re no longer able to provide senior care at an acceptable cost to your own health and wellness? We want you to think about this very important question: How do you start the conversation with family members and openly discuss the next steps of finding the right level of care for your loved one?
At Manor Lake Dawsonville Assisted Living and Memory Care in Dawsonville, GA, our assisted living community and our memory care community provide home-like living that deliver professional assisted living support services that will return you to the quality of life that both you and your loved one deserve. Let us be clear. We know you are doing your absolute best. However, the simple truth is assisted living and memory care needs will (not if) arise to where a team of professionals are required to step in for the health and wellness’ sake of all.
Accept and Acknowledge Your Feelings
Many caregivers reach a breaking point after serving as the primary caregiver for a family member. This is nothing to be ashamed of, but it can bring up a myriad of challenging emotions and feelings.
Whether you’ve neglected self-care and are facing caregiver burnout, stress, or guilt, or you’re simply unable to balance a demanding career or personal life along with your caregiving responsibilities, it’s essential to be kind to yourself as you begin to acknowledge your reasonings for being unable to provide senior care.
By being honest with yourself about your limits and abilities, you’re allowing your family members to find the level of care they deserve and need to thrive and live happily.
Maintain a Positive Mindset
Caregiving creates strong bonds between the person providing and receiving care, especially if it’s your parent or a close relative. As mentioned previously, this can lead to feelings of guilt when you’re no longer able to provide senior care.
Perhaps your family member has reached a point where they require additional assistance that you aren’t qualified to provide, or you simply don’t have the extra time to offer the full spectrum of care that they need for them to live comfortably and joyfully.
It’s important to note that by researching professional care services, you’ll quickly find that deciding you’re unable to continue providing senior care is the best possible option for your loved one’s health and well-being. When you reframe your thoughts and maintain a positive mindset, you can better understand how this decision will benefit your family members in the long run.
Start the Conversation
Once you’ve come to terms with your decision, it’s time to start the conversation with other family members. This might bring about some complex family dynamics, and you might already be anticipating feelings of resentment or disappointment from certain members of your family.
However, it’s crucial to avoid bringing up past issues or arguments during this time and avoid both making or responding directly to personal remarks that could be hurtful.
Stand firmly in your decision and remind yourself and your family members that this is the best possible option for yourself and for your loved one’s health, safety, and well-being.
If the conversation begins to take a negative turn, ask your loved ones to place themselves in your shoes for a moment. Make sure they ultimately understand that your loved one should not receive senior care from someone who doesn’t have the ability or time to provide the support they deserve.
Discuss Options
At Manor Lake Assisted Living and Memory Care here in Dawsonville, professional care for your loved one means living joyfully and fulfilled in enabling of a lifestyle that every individual involved desire and deserves. Our community stands out from the rest in the variety of services, engagement, and fulfillment that our team provides for residents every day.
To learn more about our assisted living community and our memory care community in Dawsonville, contact any member of our Manor Lake team.