Tips For Supporting Family Caregivers Over The Holidays
ComForCare Home Care (Canton, MA)

Caring for a senior loved one is a challenging and rewarding experience. Sometimes it can be a challenge to find the balance between taking care of our own needs and caring for those we love, but the rewards are well worth the effort. 7 out of 10 family caregivers report they feel emotional stress during this time of year.  By helping to support your family caregivers over the holidays, this time of year can be a festive time for everyone.

Being a Family Caregiver During the Holidays

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone, especially for family caregivers. Not only do they ensure your loved one is happy and healthy, they often have to juggle managing their own social events and visiting with other family and friends.

Many caregivers are adult children who take on the responsibility of caring for their parents as they age, and that often means balancing time with their kids to provide care. It’s easy when navigating these uncharted seas to become overwhelmed, especially during the holidays when there is more social pressure and expectation.

How can Family Members and Friends Provide Extra Support During the Holiday Months?

It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of holiday preparations. You have decorations to put up, gifts to buy, and cookies to bake. Do you have a friend or relative who is a caregiver? As  you make your holiday plans, take a moment to think about how your loved one is feeling. They’re doing all they can to prepare for the holidays themselves while also taking care of their aging parents.  The best gift you can give them during Thanksgiving and Christmas is a chance to spend a little more time with the people who love them without having to worry about their to-do list.

Help them with the heavy lifting

Many family caregivers are taking care of someone who lives on their own. This means they may be essentially managing two households – double the yard work, home maintenance, laundry, shoveling snow, and more. With the holidays here, you can add climbing up to the attic to pull out decorations and get the house ready for jolly visitors.

This year, help them with some of that heavy lifting. Help with all those holiday preparations means they can spend a little more of their time enjoying the holidays with family and friends, instead of on household chores.

Ask your favorite family caregiver what they would love to tick off their to-do list and start there.

Get the kids involved

Kids can help too! Many children would love to help out with household chores, decorations, and even some light yard work. Teenagers with a driver’s license may even be able to run errands or take grandma or grandpa to an appointment.

While kids can help with some of the more physical tasks, where they really shine is in companionship.  Don’t underestimate the power of conversation. An afternoon of baking cookies and sharing stories can go a long way to lifting a loved one’s spirits. This can also give a family caregiver time to rest, practice self-care, or tend to other responsibilities.

Hire third-party help

It can be hard to find the time to do everything you need to do, let alone offer to take on extra tasks and to-do’s for someone else. But you can still help out without adding to your own load.

Hiring a service provider to help your family caregiver with various tasks or errands can be a huge relief. Meal planning, cleaning, organization, grocery shopping, yard work – the sky’s the limit! You can even hire a professional decorator to hang those holiday lights. These days, there’s a service for just about everything that needs to be done.

If you’re not sure where to start, ask your favorite family caregiver what they would really appreciate assistance with this holiday season.

Lend a listening ear

Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is the easiest thing. Listen.

Being a caregiver is challenging no matter how much you love the person you’re taking care of, so it’s important that we give family caregivers an unjudging space to vent about those challenges.

We’ve found that many caregivers tend to keep their frustrations inside so they may not reach out to you when they need someone to talk to. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them and set up a lunch or even a Zoom call to have a chat.

Consider hiring a caregiver

No one person can do everything themselves. Professional caregivers are there to provide relief and security to families, knowing that their loved one is cared for even when they can’t be there.

Many people think of caregivers simply as home health aides who provide nursing assistance. In truth, they can help with everything from daily living activities and transportation to and from appointments as well as companionship and conversation. Some of the main caregiver types are:

• In-Home Caregivers provide non-medical services ranging from companion care to personal care and social activities.
• Respite Caregivers support family caregivers by providing short-term relief.
• Hospice Caregivers provide hands-on expert care and comfort for elderly adults facing serious illness.
• Palliative Caregivers support families in a similar manner as hospice care, but this service often includes continuing medical treatment.

How to Support Family Caregivers During the Holidays

If you know a family caregiver who could use some extra support this holiday season, our team is happy to help! Call (781) 821-2800 to learn more about the transition care services offered through ComForCare Home Care (Canton, MA).

Whether your loved one needs assistance only a few hours a week or around-the-clock, our team is happy to help! Call (614) 864-9446 to learn more about the transition care services offered through ComForCare Home Care (Reynoldsburg, OH).