How Assisted Living Services Can Make Life Easier

As our loved ones age, it’s only natural that their capabilities and care needs change. Often, this means that their children and family members become impromptu caregivers – not an easy job by any means. Luckily, there’s a type of senior living care that can help provide the kind of support your loved one needs, give you back the time you need to take care of yourself, and offer your whole family more peace of mind. Keep reading to learn more about caregiver burnout and how assisted living can help you and your loved one.

Tips to Relieve Caregiver Burnout

No matter how much time you have to devote to the work of senior care, it’s likely that you’ve experienced some kind of burnout. Although it’s common for adult child caregivers to feel guilty about being frustrated, tired or overwhelmed, it’s important to remember that these feelings are totally normal – and even people who work in senior care full time have them, too. With all of the other time-consuming tasks that people have to handle on a daily basis (like raising kids, going to work and meeting their financial obligations), it’s no wonder that so many caregivers are worn out.

If that sounds like something you’ve experienced, you’re not alone. Here are a few things you can try that may make the work easier:

• Lean on your family. When it comes to caring for your loved ones, the whole family can find a role to play. Whether you split caregiving duties on a daily basis or decide to give each family member a single task, dividing the work helps to even the effort.
• Give yourself a vacation. Respite care – also commonly known as short-stay elder care or adult day care – gives you the latitude to do the things you want and need to do. Whether you’re going to jury duty or going on vacation, you can rely on respite care to provide the qualified, compassionate support that your loved one needs.
• Get connected to assisted living support. Ultimately, when it comes to making sure your loved one has the best support available, there is no replacement for an assisted living community. In the next section, we’ll go into a little more detail about assisted living and what it can do for your loved one.

What Assisted Living Has to Offer

What comes to mind when you think about assisted living? A nursing home or health care facility? Think again! Unlike traditional nursing home care, assisted living is about giving your loved one the support they need to live independently for as long as possible – in fact, studies show that moving to an assisted living facility can help delay or prevent nursing home placement. Whether they’re part of a larger community or a stand-alone building, assisted living caregivers offer a helping hand with the vital activities of daily living.

To get a clearer picture of how assisted living can help your loved one, consider the following:

• Living freely is the goal. At an assisted living community, your loved one will find incredible care and daily support, including help with bathing, dressing and other necessities. Caregivers aren’t there to tell residents what they can or can’t do – instead, they work to find ways to make seniors’ lives easier, smoother and more enjoyable.
• Staying involved is a breeze. Forget any ideas you might have had about an assisted living community being boring. In reality, many communities offer the opportunity to enjoy cultural events and field trips to nearby shopping centers and landmarks. Ultimately, what your loved one chooses to do is entirely up to them.
• They’ll live each day their way. An assisted living community isn’t a tightly controlled environment like a hospital or skilled nursing center – when it comes to where residents go, when they leave and what they do, they’re the boss. And their privacy won’t be interrupted, either – caregivers won’t enter an apartment without the resident’s permission.
• The senior social scene is always buzzing. Like we said earlier, senior living communities aren’t nursing homes. The older adults who live in these communities are active, engaged and eager to meet new friends. No matter who your loved one is, they’ll find someone to spend time with.

Sound good? Let’s talk.

Assisted living at Wesley Court is purpose-built to offer your loved one more comfort and control. Our talented and compassionate team of caregivers will work with your whole family to devise a plan that addresses your loved one’s biggest needs while ensuring that our support is never overbearing. That’s why so many seniors in Boiling Springs choose life at Wesley Court.

Our team members are always ready to hear from you. Whether you’re interested in a personal consultation or just want to learn a little more about assisted living, give us a call at 864-599-9929.