Caregiver Observances: Self-Help Group Awareness Month

Caregiver in Southampton NY

Taking the step to become a family caregiver for your elderly loved ones is a major decision that will have lasting implications for your entire life. You are committing to give of your time, energy, effort, and even financial resources to ensure that your parents’ needs are met and they can life the best quality lifestyle possible. Regardless of the feelings that you had toward the role of being caregiver when you first started this journey, these changes and all of the responsibilities that come with being a caregiver are likely to lead to stress and all of the mental, emotional, and physical consequences associated with this stress. Finding support and encouragement can help you to preserve your health and wellbeing and ensure that you are the best caregiver possible for your aging parents.

January is Self-Help Group Awareness Month. This month long observance is the perfect opportunity for you to find out more about how joining a caregiver support group can make a tremendous difference in the stress that you feel and your ability to cope with the challenges that a care relationship presents.

Some of the ways that participating in a caregiver support group during Self-Help Group Awareness Month and throughout the rest of the year include:

• Strength in numbers. Even if you are fully aware that the senior care community is huge and always growing, it is easy to feel like you are completely alone when you start your caregiver journey with your parents. Joining a support group shows you that there are many others who are going through the same things right in your area so you do not feel as isolated and like no one understands what you are facing.

• Social interaction. Regular social interaction is crucial for everyone, but it can be difficult when you are devoting so much time to your parents to get out and socialize as much as you used to. Setting aside just an hour a week to go to your support group offers you greater social interaction so that you can keep your mind sharp and ward off feelings of loneliness and isolation that can be extremely dangerous to mental and emotional health.

• Advice. You are by far not the first adult child to go about this journey, which means that some of the people in your support group may be further along in it than you, effectively blazing the trails for you and learning the lessons a few steps ahead. Take advantage of this experience and allow them to give you advice and guidance that can help you to face challenges with greater confidence and effectiveness. Likewise, you may find that there are people in your group who are just getting started and you can offer your own knowledge and experience. This not only helps them along their way, but also gives you a sense of accomplishment and importance that elevates and protects your mental and emotional health.

• Support. Sometimes being a caregiver is difficult and emotionally stressful. Being in a support group offers you encouraging ears to listen to you vent and talk about emotions that you might not feel comfortable discussing with others. This relieves your stress, validates your feelings, and helps you to cope while also relieving guilt that you may feel for having these emotions.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional caregivers in Southampton, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.