Tuesday, 14 January 2020

Learning to Let Go when a Loved One Transitions to Full-time Care

Has your senior relative recently transitioned from your care to that of full-time care either at an assisted living facility or at home with the help of senior home caregivers? If so, for many, it can prove to be exceptionally difficult to ‘let go’. After all, you are used to being their sole caregiver and catering to all of their daily needs. You also obviously know them better than anyone else.

However, ‘letting go’, at least in terms of relinquishing control over their daily routines and care, is essential if you are to ensure that they are able to enjoy the maximum quality of life.

Here is how to go about it.

Make sure that you are happy with the new caregiver

You are likely to worry and obsess unless you have full trust in the senior home caregivers who will be looking after your loved one.  As such, never rush into this decision. Take your time to research the different assisted living facilities and elderly care providers out there before deciding which route is the best choice for your senior relative and the rest of your family.

Don’t settle – wait until you find the facility, agency, or live in companion who you and your loved one both naturally ‘connect’ with. This sense of trust will make it endlessly easier to ‘hand over the reins’, as it were.

Adjust your perspective

Up until now, your sole focus has been on taking proper care of your elderly loved one. Now, however, you will have more time to actually bond with them and just enjoy their company. This is sure to be a relief and the realisation is certain to put a more positive spin on the situation.

Express your feelings

It can really help to speak to someone about how you are feeling with regard to no longer being your loved one’s main carer. This could be a friend, another family member, or an objective third party, such as a psychologist.

There are also numerous support groups out there that will allow you to interact with other people who are going through similar situations. Sometimes, simply voicing your feelings and finding out that you are not alone can make it easier for you to deal with your emotions and start to accept the current situation as the ‘new normal’.

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