How Can You Prepare to Be a Caregiver… Or Can You?

By 5  am on

There are more seniors than there are children in the country. According to the 2016  Statistics Canada report, there are now 5.9 million seniors living in Canada, and 5.8 million Canadians 14 and under.

How can you prepare if a loved one is aging and in need of personalized care? Are you the best option to keep them healthy, safe and socially engaged? What is the most important thing you can do NOW before you’re in a situation when time is not on your side?

Plan in Advance

Putting good thought into what you would do if a loved one in your life came to you for primary caregiving help is the best thing you can do to prepare for such a situation. Here are some important points you and your family will want to consider.

Lifestyle & Well Being

Maintaining your well being is important and there could be potential for major lifestyle adjustments. How will caregiving affect your physical health? Do you have the strength and  energy to be the primary caregiver?

Circumstances

Health conditions in seniors can develop over a long period of time or can come on suddenly. If you had to be the primary caregiver for your loved one, will you be able to  keep your job? Would the care circumstances you provide be temporary or long term?

Resources

What kind of care does your loved one need and are you capable of taking care of them  by yourself? What resources do you need? Does your loved one have activity limitations, particular housing, or transportation needs?

Your Family

How will you make time for yourself and your family? Can you get help from other family  members? Do you have space in your home for someone to move in, or, how would you  make your situation accommodating? Have you had any family discussions about what  you can and can’t do? What you are willing to do? And, what are the wishes of your loved  one?

Finances

Financial adjustments will likely need to be considered and could potentially be a challenge  to do in advance. However, there may be some help. There are several types of  employment leaves and benefits available, depending on your circumstances, you may be  eligible for:

  • Family caregiver leave
  • Family medical leave
  • Personal emergency leave
  • Compassionate care benefits

For more information on employment insurance visit Service Canada.
There are ways to help ease the stress and burden of taking care of the ones we love, but what really matters is their peace of mind and overall health and safety. Reaching out to a community services is a good idea, reading and learning about their condition is also important. And maybe facilitating a Home Care discussion is more important than you think.
Visit our website at www.homecareassistancevancouver.ca for information on caregiving or reach out to a Case Manager at 778-200-1683 to schedule a no-obligation consultation.

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