Caregiver for a spouse or relative? How home care services can help and support you
As a home care company here in Calgary, we often are part of the support and help needed by people who care for family members.
Being the sole caregiver for a loved one is a demanding job. In addition to looking after them, you often have to look after the home, the chores, the cooking, the finances, the medication, and a whole lot more. It can be tiring and take away your freedom to live your life as you had before. You may even have given up work, or moved into another’s home.
The good news is that there is definitely help out there. Our experienced, professional caregivers may visit one a week or twice a day or more, alongside spouses, partners, children and other family providing care at other times.
If you feel it is all getting too much for you to cope with, contact us. We will guide you through what we offer, and advise how to potentially access support from the Alberta government, including Self-Managed Care Funding.
Four key areas where home care services can really make a difference
Family caregivers often need support in four key areas:
Personal Care
Many family caregivers struggle with aspects of personal care, including washing, grooming and toileting care for their loved one. This can be both an embarrassment or personal space issue, or simply the physical difficulty of helping someone in a small home bathroom or similar.
We’d say from the start that there is a lot you can do to adapt a loved one’s home environment to better suit their care needs. We partner with local approved firms who can remodel bathrooms, for example, and fit safety features such as grab rails, non-slip flooring and walk-in showers. There is also a wide range of specialist equipment that can help with many aspects of personal care, including commodes, shower chairs and other aids.
Our experienced caregivers are more than happy to help with personal care on a regular / daily basis. This allows you and your loved one some personal space, and the reassurance of personal care delivered by fully-trained home care staff who are caring and empathetic too.
Balancing work and caregiving
Juggling work and caregiving is never easy. The Alternative Hours of Work Directive allows employees to agree flexible working arrangements with their employers. This can include Hours of Work Averaging Arrangements (HWAAs) or Flexible Hours Arrangements (FHAs).
You might also discuss working part-time, job sharing or work that is location-flexible, so you can be nearer to the person you are caring for. Also discuss your rights for time off in an emergency, if required. According to Alberta.ca:
“Eligible employees can take up to 5 days of leave for health issues or family needs.”
At Vytality at Home, we understand that your loved one might need care that fits around your work schedule. That’s we always meet with you first, in your own or your loved one’s home, to discuss your requirements and how we might help.
Caring for someone with dementia
Looking after someone who’s living with dementia can present unique challenges for you, the caregiver. The changeable nature of dementia behaviour can also make it difficult for you to look after yourself as much as you might, and that includes your mental health.
As one seniors charity says says:
“Caring for someone with dementia can lead to feelings of guilt, sadness, confusion or anger. … It’s important to acknowledge these feelings and to remember that there’s no right or wrong way to feel.”
Key to caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s is to understand more about the condition and how it affects the person you are caring for – their personality, moods, behaviour and comprehension of the world in general. Alzheimer Canada has some excellent advice for caregivers including a section on “ways to care”.
At Vytality at Home, we have caregivers with extensive experience of caring for people with dementia. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
Taking a break
Caregiving for a relative or spouse can be as mentally tiring as it is physically. Like all caregivers, you’ll need a break to do what you want to do, recharge your batteries, or just do nothing, without worry about your loved one. Our home care team can provide respite care at whatever level you require, from weekly visits to give you a few hours off, to longer periods of respite care for a holiday or to visit family.
To discuss your requirements, just contact us. We’re always happy to talk about home care and how it can help you and your family.
Vytality at Home are here to help you
If and when you need us, we’re here to help with expert home care services to support you in your caregiver role. Contact us to discuss your requirements or those of a loved one:
