Accepting the Emotions that Come with Being a Family Caregiver in Westchester, IL

Few people plan on becoming a family caregivers for their loved ones. It is difficult when we are young to imagine our adult family members aging to the point at which they require ongoing care to take care of their Activities of Daily Living or to manage chronic health concerns. Imagining our older family members in this way can be painful, and can also force us to come to terms with our own mortality, which is not something most people are comfortable. For this reason, it is often extremely difficult for people to accept the fact that they must become a family caregiver for an aging loved one. Whether it is because they had a strained relationship with this family member in recent years, or simply because they are unwilling to accept that the family member is in actual need of care, many family caregivers report experiencing difficult emotions throughout the course of their caregiving relationship

If you have begun providing home care for an aging loved one, it is important that you accept the emotions that you are going through, and prepare for the others that are likely to come, so that you can cope with these emotions and move beyond them to continue providing the most comprehensive, dignified and effective senior care possible.

Some of the emotions that you may experience when first becoming a family caregiver, or throughout the course of the relationship include:

• Anger
• Resentment
• Sadness
• Bitterness
• Regret
• Depression
• Frustration
• Hopelessness
• Confusion
• Being taken for granted
• Being taken advantage of
• Isolation
• Boredom
• Fear

All of these emotions are completely normal, even if you are moving into a family caregiver relationship with an aging family member with which you have a very close, loving relationship. Taking on the tremendous responsibility of providing care for an aging adult is physically and emotionally overwhelming at times, so it is critical you are honest with yourself, your loved one and others around you in order to prepare for these emotions and move forward.

Providing home care for an aging loved one is not just about negative emotion. Positive feelings that you can get from this type of arrangement include:

• Love
• Fulfillment
• Satisfaction
• Pride
• Connection
• Accomplishments
• Stability
• Retribution

If you feel that the negative emotions you are feeling towards providing home care for an aging loved one are becoming extreme, or standing in the way of your ability to provide the best care possible for your aging loved one, do not hesitate to seek out professional help. It is not uncommon to become depressed and overwhelmed with providing home care, and having someone to talk to can be incredibly helpful.

For caregiver services in Westchester, IL call 708-761-4909.  Serving La Grange, Oakbrook, Oak Brook Terrace, Brookfield, Westchester, Downers Grove, Berwyn, River Forest, Oak Park, Hinsdale, Chicago and surrounding communities.