Caring for an elderly parent with dementia can be a demanding task. When assuming full time responsibility as a care giver, a person might have to make many compromises on their lifestyle. Before you know it, you get sucked into the caregiver zone and you start to forget that there is a world outside. You will be skipping social outings, family gatherings, and eventually taking care of your needs becomes secondary.
Many times the care givers get burnt out and become depressed and feel lost. This becomes even more difficult when you are the sole caregiver and there is no one to share the burden.
What can you do to prevent this from happening?
The first thing to remember is to get plenty of 'me time'.Take care of yourself before you take care of others. If you feel exhausted and emotionally drained you are not in a position to help others.
When emotions run high and you feel unappreciated remember that this situation is not permanent and you are not going to do this for the rest of your life.
Do not heed advice from people who do not know anything about your situation.
Join support groups or read about how people in similar situations deal with care giver role strain.
Dedicate 30 minutes of your time to take a walk outside and enjoy things that you like to do.
Talk to your family members on how your day went and share both the positive and negative aspects of your day.Do not try to repress your emotions, but do not blow it out on your dear ones.
Find a way to vent, write it in a journal or yell in the front of a mirror.
And lastly be assured that what you are doing is the most selfless act and no amount of money is worth the feeling of fulfillment you get by looking after your loved ones