John had been caring for his elderly father for the past three years. As his father’s health deteriorated, John was tasked with more and more responsibility. He drove his dad to appointments, helped him manage medications, and made sure he ate healthy meals every day. It was a full-time job and John felt exhausted all the time.
One day, he realized that if something didn’t change soon, he would have no energy left to care for himself or even enjoy life anymore – so he decided it was time to set some boundaries. He talked with his family and friends about how they could help more often, which allowed him to take breaks throughout the week where he could relax or do things that make him happy like reading books or taking walks in nature. His sister-in-law had worked with us to help manage care of her mom and she connected us to John.
We were able to share resources to help him such as respite care and in-home care aides who could provide additional support when needed so he wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by all the responsibility.
He was able to go back to the gym and take his daily runs again. He also enjoyed meditation and yoga at home so when an aide was helping his dad, he was able to take private time to practice both. His comments always indicated appreciation for our help, and it was evident that he was finding balance. I noticed over time that he was less frustrated with his dad and not so worried about every new concern because he knew we would talk it out with him and find the best course.
When his dad would need medical care, he voiced that it was stressful to make the appointments, get his dad to the appointments, and then figure out how to carry out the doctor’s recommendations. With our care management, this is exactly what we do. We can handle all those things and clearly communicate to your family about the doctor’s visits and the plan needed to follow the recommendations. We check in regularly and make sure that the steps are being followed from the visit. This reduces hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations, which cause older adults to deteriorate faster. It’s better to be at their home or assisted living facility and following outpatient care than to regularly be in the hospital.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and you are ready to find balance in your life, please reach out to us at 317-300-5454 or at Shannon@AgingLifeCareConsultants.com to find out how we can help. This is specifically what we do!
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