For whatever reason, you’ve been filling the role of a family carer for your parents. It could be your dad fell and broke his leg. Your mom’s vision worsened and keeps her from driving him around. When you’re a family caregiver, it can seem hard to find time to get everything done.

Make it a goal to rearrange your day so that you have time for yourself and others. Here are some of the best ways to adjust your routine. Doing so can help you find time for everything you need to get done and still have time for self-care.

Create a Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Schedule

Caregivers have different schedules. Some tasks must be done each day. Others are once a week. Some are completed monthly. Jot down everything you need to do and figure out how often it’s required.

Put this all onto a schedule so that you can see how much work you’re done from one day to the next. When you have a full month printed out, you’ll be able to see where there are gaps. Wherever you see gaps, see if you can move tasks from busy days to those gaps.

Ask for Help

Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. If you’re having a hard time fitting in everything you need to do, ask the family to help. Your siblings, nieces, and nephews may have an hour here or there when they can get something done.

If you don’t have a large family, reach out to friends of the family. Even one person helping out will free up some time. Use that time and focus on self-care and socialization.

Allow Yourself Unproductive Days

No one is perfect. If you have a bad day, don’t get upset. It’s going to happen. Look over your schedule, take care of the chores that cannot wait a day. The other tasks can wait for another day.

Remember that some of the chores you have written down may not need to be done at all that week. If you miss one week of dusting, it’s okay. You want to prioritize the vital tasks like making sure your parents take medications, feeding them, and making sure prescriptions don’t run out.

Make Use of Home Care Services

Hire professional caregivers to help out. With others taking over some of the caregiving tasks you’ve been juggling, you’ll have extra time for self-care. Use their help to take breaks, run errands, or take a nap. Call an agency to learn more.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare in Berkeley, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care.
Call today: (415) 795-2203

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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