So many caregivers have a defined idea what being a caregiver means. You might be doing all or some of the following things for your senior and still not consider yourself to be a caregiver. You might be surprised just what “counts” under the category of being a caregiver. In fact, you might be deeper into your caregiving journey than you realize.
You’re Tackling Household Tasks for Your Senior
You might not think it’s much of anything to help your elderly family member with household tasks. Picking up prescriptions for her, taking care of cleaning, and handling the grocery store run might just feel like you’re helping out. You definitely are helping out, but that’s also part of being a caregiver. You’re giving her vital assistance with daily issues that she needs help managing.
You’re Also Tackling Personal Care Tasks
Personal care tasks are tasks like getting dressed, brushing her teeth, or even bathing. Some of these tasks might be embarrassing for you or for your senior, but they are still ones that she needs help doing. Perhaps your help is temporary, like after an injury or illness, but the fact remains that this is definitely a series of caregiving tasks, making you a caregiver.
You’re Helping Your Senior Manage Her Health
Your senior’s health is a big part of her maintaining her overall wellness and odds are that you’re helping her to manage symptoms, get to doctor’s appointments regularly, and dealing with other related tasks. She may have even given you her healthcare power of attorney so that you can make big decisions on her behalf.
Your Senior Knows She Can Count on You
Whether it’s day or night, your senior knows that she can call you if she has a need. You might not think of this as strictly a caregiving duty, and that can be true to an extent. Certainly you might view the situation the same way but in reverse. You might be the one driving your senior when she can’t or offering companionship when she feels lonely. That’s the kind of thing a caregiver would be doing.
Being a caregiver isn’t something that always happens in one quick moment. It might have happened gradually over multiple years for you and your senior. The bottom line, though, is that you need some help to manage all of these tasks as gracefully as possible. Home care providers can help you to bridge that gap.
Learn More About Our Dedicated & Experienced Health Care Staff
Wherever their home may be, our caregivers can help keep your loved ones safe. Call our local Toronto office at (647) 793-2525 to learn how caregiver services can assist your family.