The challenges of aging don’t fall on the elderly alone. They are shared by the family and friends who help keep seniors at home, and by the employers of those family members who must adapt to overly busy, stressed-out workers. Over the next few weeks we will review the challenges to families and their employers and show how we can make the situation better.
When we look at the growing number of people who must care for an elderly parent, we see that many are working a full-time job—one they can’t afford to lose.
If this describes you, you understand the limitations of the 24-hour day.
We’ve already reviewed the financial losses you face when your caretaker responsibilities make you cut down on work hours, turn down promotions, or take early retirement. Unfortunately, these stresses can also make you sick. Literally.
It’s been well-documented that emotional stress takes a toll on your health, exacerbating problems ranging from heart disease to diabetes to dementia. It should be no surprise that the stresses of a working caretaker do the same. When you add in the fact that the average caretaker is pushing 50, well past the age of limitless energy, it becomes even less surprising.
The fact is, the longer you serve as an unpaid caregiver, the more likely you are to say your health isn’t all that good. Among those of us who have been providing care for five years or longer, a quarter say these responsibilities have hurt their health.
So what do you do about it? Get help!
Stay at Home was created to help people just like you. You don’t always have to be the one making sure your parents are eating right and taking their medications on schedule. You don’t have to be personally responsible for doing the dishes and the dusting.
You can get help. Drop us a line and let us show you how.