One of the main goals of senior care is to ensure that the elderly patient is healthy and safe. While you may have agreed to be the caregiver for your elderly loved one, that doesn’t mean that you have to neglect your own health and well-being. In fact, it’s important for the senior care provider to take care of himself or herself, even more so than caring for the patient.
This may sound like it goes contrary to rational thought, but think about this: if the caregiver is not taking proper care of himself or herself, and they become sick and can’t tend to the needs of the elderly patient, then who benefits? No one.
That’s why it’s so important to continue to make sure that you, as the caregiver, are placing your health as a priority while also providing senior care services. How can you do that? There are several ways.
1. Get plenty of rest. The one thing that too many caregivers neglect is their sleep. The average person requires about 8 hours of sleep per night. If you’re running around tending to the needs of a patient, then getting up in the morning to go to work after just four or five hours, then you’re not getting enough rest. This can lead to an increased risk of health related issues, such as illnesses, anxiety, and more.
2. Eat healthy. When you’re constantly on the go, you tend to eat less healthy. You might eat fast food more, or processed, pre-made meals, but these don’t generally give you the kind of nutrients that your body needs. Make sure that you take the time to eat properly.
3. Get exercise. Some people actually believe that their running from one place to the next is exercise. If you don’t get your heart rate elevated properly, then you’re not getting the proper amount of exercise. You should be working out for at least 15 solid minutes per day, either jogging, lifting weights, biking, or some other cardio activity.
4. Keep your relationships intact. When you neglect friends or family while providing senior care services for someone, it’s not healthy. Everyone needs these types of relationships, so make sure that you are continuing to work on them and keep them healthy.
When you take care of yourself, you’re going to stay healthier longer, even when providing senior care, and that’s going to lead to better care for the patient in need.
About Zack McConnell
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