Your emotions can sometimes get the best of you as a caregiver, especially if you’re not prepared for some of them. Understanding why they’re there can be helpful.

You Could Be Feeling Grief Already

It may feel weird to you, but grief is definitely something you may start to experience, even before your senior passes away. She’s still there, but you’re already imagining a time when she won’t be there any longer. She may also be getting frailer and experiencing illnesses more frequently, which can force you to face her mortality as well as your own. 

You May Be Sad, Too

Caregiver in Anderson, SC: Negative Emotions

On the heels of grief, you may be experiencing plain old sadness. There’s a lot that has changed in your senior’s life and probably in your own life, too. There’s a lot going on in general, frankly, and that can leave you feeling melancholy about both the present and the future. If there are unresolved issues between yourself and your senior, that can factor into the sad feelings, as well. Be on the lookout for symptoms of depression and get help if you start to feel as if that may be an issue for you.

Some Days Are Going to Bring You Anger and Frustration

You might not think you’re going to feel this way, but there are also going to be times when you’re frustrated and even angry with your aging family member. This is completely normal, but it can be upsetting for you to face. Not all of your frustration and anger are going to be because of something your senior has done, though. There’s plenty of bureaucracy that you may have to fight through while being a caregiver.

You Might Feel Guilty Sometimes

As hard as you try, you’re going to sometimes feel as if you’re just not doing the right thing or making the right decision. Sometimes, no matter how much you sacrifice for caregiving and for your senior, you may feel as if you’re just not doing enough. That can translate as guilt, especially when you’re neglecting other areas of your life in order to keep being a caregiver.

Even though these feelings are normal, they may feel bad or wrong when they do show up. The important thing is that you examine the feelings and why you’re experiencing them. They’re not bad; they’re valid. What matters is that you take steps to correct anything that isn’t working well for you or your senior.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Anderson, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116.  Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

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Edward Harrison

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.
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