Maine home care benefits more than just the clients who are in need of services due to chronic illness, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, or a disability. It even helps more than just the individuals who receive Maine’s Mental and Behavioral Health Services in relation to a mental illness, behavioral disorder, or autism. Maine home care also helps the caregivers and other loved ones of these individuals. Parents, children, siblings, other relatives, and close friends feel an immense pressure lifted when they know the person they love is in good hands and receiving much needed health care or personal care. Without this extra set of eyes and hands, caregivers can face many problems in their daily life that affect their health, emotional stability, and happiness.

Mental Health Concerns

Being the primary caregiver of a loved one is not an easy task emotionally. Accompanying the day to day care of a parent or child comes with high rates of guilt, worry, and general sadness when seeing that person suffer. It is very difficult to see a decline in someone’s health and to notice a change in their personality because of it. Being a caregiver also alters the relationship, possibly from one where the person cared for you to one where you must now be responsible for them. Sometimes this can lead to depression, a serious condition that must be monitored carefully.

In addition to the job of caregiver, many people have secondary strains being placed upon them that can contribute to the buildup of anxiety. Work, finances, and other relationships also require your attention, which may be a struggle when care giving duties are thrown into the mix. A loss of personal time when you can relax and release your frustrations is also a new experience that may not have been anticipated.

If you find yourself experiencing any of these feelings, it is important to speak to someone. This may mean just venting and having a long talk with a person close to you to make you feel better. If these emotions don’t subside, consult a doctor.

Physical Health Concerns  

Your mental health as well as the physical nature of being a caregiver can also impact your overall health. Fatigue, sleep problems, injury, and poor diet are some common concerns that can arise. Sometimes with the focus being on a loved one, a caregiver’s health can start to decline as they forget to pay attention to their own needs, or perhaps don’t have the time to.

The Home Care Solution

Maine home care is a significant way to lessen the strain of care giving. It can bring you to a place where you enjoy spending time with your loved one again. Professional caregivers can support healthcare needs, such as nursing and in-home lab draws. They can also provide family respite care, companionship, and other types of care based on the client’s needs. With affordable care that is brought directly to the home, there is no reason to not have time to take care of yourself, too.

Call MAS Home Care of Maine at 207-561-9533 (northern Maine) or 207-591-4457 (Southern Maine) to learn more about the relief home care can offer everyone.