5 Great Ways to Support Family Home Caregivers

For family members of an aging parent, providing care at home can be challenging. Caregiver fatigue and burnout often happens. In recognition of November being National Family Caregivers Month, let’s look at 5 great ways you can support and help a sibling, or another family member who is the primary home caregiver of an older loved one.

Be There for Them

Many family caregivers tend to be emotionally strong people. They seem to be able to successfully handle a lot of stress and responsibilities with regard to caring for an older loved one. While these individuals are perceived to be superheroes, the truth is that they are just human beings like everyone else.

Family caregivers need all the support they can get. Ask your family member what you can do to help relieve the stress of their daily activities. Stay in touch with phone calls, write a card, or take them to lunch as a way to show them how much you care. Make sure they know how much the family appreciates everything they do.

Lighten the Load by Helping

In many families, the task of caring for a loved one often falls to a specific person. If this is the case in your family, see what can be done to help the primary caregiver with their day to day responsibilities.

Whether it be by assisting with cooking, cleaning, laundry or other essential tasks, even the smallest amount of help can go a long way in making caregiving duties less stressful.

Offer Information on Support Groups

Many organizations exist that are devoted to supporting family caregivers. Spending time with people who are also experiencing the challenges of home caregiving can be therapeutic, and a great relief for those who feel isolated.

Most major cities have these types of support groups, with many of them being accessible today on Zoom or over the internet.

Provide Some Financial Help

Statistics from a 2021 AARP study shows that up to 78% of home caregivers experience financial difficulties as a result of their responsibilities with an older loved one.

If this is the case in your family, providing some financial help can make the difference between remaining as a caregiver, or having to return to work.

Some families have used crowd funding services like Go Fund Me to raise money for the financial shortfalls of a caregiver.

Ensure They Are Caring for Themselves

At home caregivers are usually so busy meeting the needs of a loved one, they forget about their own self-care requirements.

Be sure to remind the caregiver in your family that they must take care of themselves, both physically and emotionally. Otherwise, they will be unable to meet the needs of the loved one they are assisting.

Encourage the caregiver to take the time needed to get enough sleep, eat healthfully, and take mental breaks when needed. This will not only help them stay healthy and balanced, but also improve the quality of care their loved one is receiving.