Are you one of the newest members of the community providing home care RI residents rely on? Perhaps you are a spouse caring for a recently disabled partner or a child who took in an elderly parent. No matter what the circumstances, finding yourself as a new caregiver can make you feel as though you must re-learn how to navigate your life. Caregiving impacts your personal life, professional work, the well being of yourself, and obviously the person you are responsible for. Continue reading for 5 tips to make this transition in your life go smoothly:

1.    Join a support group. Meeting with others who are experiencing similar trials can help you to feel less alone. They may be able to share advice about things they have learned along the way. Other support services you may find helpful include training courses and family therapy.

2.    Accept help. You may feel solely responsible for your loved one, but accepting or asking for help will make your life easier and the contributing party will feel rewarded by the ability to lend their assistance. Tasks you may choose to delegate to others are stepping in to provide companionship or supervision while you run errands or going on errands for you.

3.    Create a care binder. When becoming a new caregiver, you may find it useful to collect information about the person, such as their habits, likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, etc. You can also include articles on conditions they have and contact information for their physicians. Not only will this help you stay organized, but it can be useful should another family member or friend need to temporarily provide care.

4.    Develop other interests. Without other things going on in your life aside from caregiving you could find yourself feeling disconnected from your social group. It is not uncommon to also start to feel depressed. It is important that caregivers take some time for themselves to visit with friends, exercise, and enjoy hobbies.

5.    Look into home care. Professional home care is a great resource for a variety of situations. It can be utilized as the primary source of care, or for only a couple hours per week. Many families call upon MAS Home Care to provide respite care so they can enjoy a few hours out of the house or go on a vacation. Learn if home care is right for you and your loved one by calling MAS Home Care of RI at 401-312-1160.

MAS Home Care provides in-home care services in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.