Your dad has cancer, and you’re his caregiver while he goes through his treatments. He’s pretty sick and leans on you a lot. You have to do all the driving, housework, scheduling, and support him as he moves around the house. You also have to add laundry, meals, snacks, and drinks throughout the week. He has pets that need your attention. There are bills to pay, groceries to purchase, and prescriptions to order and pick up. It’s becoming overwhelming, but you don’t know how to get the support you need without seeming needy. Consider looking into the services that home care providers offer.
Create a List of the Things You Do Each Week
Before you even start asking anyone, you need to sit down and jot down a list of everything you do. Go through the morning, afternoon, and evening and don’t overlook anything, even if you think it’s too small to count.
You want to note things that you do once a week, once a month or once a year. If you have to do it at some point, you need to account for it on the list. This is important for a reason.
As you start to ask other people for help, they may not have a lot of time. That yearly trip to the doctor’s office may be something they can easily do, and that’s one thing off your list.
Reach Out to Other Family Members
Reach out to your close family members and friends to see if anyone has the bandwidth to help out. Your brother is in town one weekend a month and can take your dad for a haircut on that day. Your best friend lives a block away and can stop by and walk your dad’s dog. Little things like this can free up some of your time.
If you don’t reach out to family and friends, they may have no idea how overwhelmed you are. They may not realize your dad is going through cancer treatments and could use extra support.
Upgrade Your List as Your Dad’s Health Shifts
After surgery or treatments, your dad may start to do more things for himself. As he gets stronger, he’s able to dust the furniture and let his dog out. These items come off your list.
Right now, it may not be possible for others to help out. Three months from now, things might be different. Keep bringing it up every few months just to see if there is any way for others to chip in and help out in even the smallest way.
Arrange Respite Care from Home Care Providers
Ask for help before you’re experiencing caregiver burnout. If you don’t have a large family to lean on, it can be hard making sure you have time away without leaving your mom alone sometimes. Home care services are exactly what you need.
A caregiver can help your mom while you’re away. It’s a service known as respite care, and it’s important as a family caregiver. Call our home care agency to discuss respite care services.