Elderly Care: What is the sandwich generation?
It’s the term used for family caregivers who find themselves caring for two generations simultaneously. Your parents need you due to their changing health. You’re helping them with transportation, medication reminders, housekeeping, and personal care. At the same time, you still have children living in your home. They rely on you for transportation, meals, homework help, etc. Your children need your love and guidance as they go through their pre-teen and teen years and get ready to start their adult lives. How can elderly care help?
Why Is Being a Sandwich Generation of Caregivers Difficult?
As a family caregiver, you’re sandwiched between the generations. Caring for your parents and kids at the same time is already hard work. But, you’re also trying to keep up with work, as your family relies on your income to pay for groceries, housing, clothing, and entertainment.
The average family caregiver provides just over 22 hours of care per week to their parents. You also have your children at home, so that’s a 24/7 situation. And, you have the work outside the home. If you’re working part-time, you add at least 20 hours to the 22 hours of care your parents get.
What free time do you have left for yourself? Self-care often gets pushed to the side when you’re a sandwich generation caregiver. You stop doing the things you enjoy. You postpone your healthcare needs. You cancel plans with your friends.
Self-Care Is Essential
Caregivers who fail to take care of themselves often end up experiencing caregiver burnout. Anxiety and panic attacks are one result of ignoring self-care. You’ll suddenly find the stress has built to levels that are now unmanageable. Depression is another risk.
Self-care is a situation where you focus on taking care of your emotional, mental, and physical needs first. Others are next in line. For a sandwich generation, this can seem selfish, but it’s not. If you keep pushing yourself to a breaking point, you’ll have no energy left to provide the care that others need.
To practice self-care, you take time to do things you love every day. For some, it’s a long walk alone or regularly attending a Yoga class. Others may find that a long bath while reading a book is far more soothing. Whatever you enjoy doing, make sure you’re doing it regularly.
Take a walk in a park or nature trail and bring your camera if you enjoy photography. You might like knitting or painting. A date night with a spouse can be a great way to stop, do something that eases stress, and return to your role as a caregiver with a clear mind and a more positive attitude.
For more information about hiring Elderly Care in San Diego, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.
Today we are the oldest and most experienced private duty agency in San Diego County.She saw a need for quality private duty home health care and she worked diligently to build an agency that filled that need.I am proud to say, her vision is carried on today with our dedicated staff.
I believe our tenure in the community speaks well for us.We have had the opportunity to be of service to countless interesting individuals, including local and worldwide celebrities.It is the people we care for that makes this a fascinating industry.Whether high profile or a more ordinary citizen, we are proud that thousands have entrusted us with their care or the care of their loved ones.Our Mission is to provide high quality, very secure and the most compassionate home health care.We believe that patients heal faster and are happiest when they can stay in their homes.”
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