With an estimated 48 million people in the U.S. taking care of adult relatives or friends and 61% working fulltime while caregiving, it comes as no surprise that these people are having trouble balancing their competing responsibilities. What’s more, the sandwich generation – adults who care for their parents while still raising their own children – is growing faster than ever, putting increased pressure on individuals caring for family members of all ages, whether it’s assisting with daily activities, medical care, finances, and emotional support.
Combatting the Strain on Family Caregivers
Fortunately, there is greater recognition of the strain that caregiving can have on families, and industries are beginning to come up with new ways to help ease the burden. For example, some employers are starting to expand their benefits to help with elder care. According to a recent Mercer survey of companies with 500 or more employees, 34% currently offer or plan to offer within the next year elder care referrals or consultations; 20% offer access to back up elder care services; 17% offer concierge caregiver support; 16% offer care coordination navigation services; and 14% offer elder care leave. Not only will these benefits help keep workers in their jobs longer, but it acknowledges the important role of caregiving.
At the same time, there also are tried-and-true methods to help family caregivers, like home care. Not only can home care make a big difference by providing older adults with personalized, daily living support to help them maintain their independence at home, but it can offer respite to family members that their loved ones are being taken care of when they are not there.
The Impact of Home Care on Family Caregivers
Home care provides many practical benefits for family members who may not have the extra time to care for their aging parents on top of their other responsibilities like raising children and working a full-time job, including:
- Keeping loved ones out of the hospital. Research shows that when people can recover at home after a hospitalization, they recover faster. For this reason, home care can be especially helpful for older adults transitioning home after a hospital stay, as caregivers can help with daily activities like picking up prescriptions and preparing meals that allow them to get the rest and recovery they need.
- Providing peace of mind. The average family caregiver spends more than 20 hours per week caring for their loved one at home. Home care is an ideal solution for the sandwich generation and older adults who need help with daily living activities but can’t always rely on family members to maintain their independence. Caregivers can help with medical appointments, mobility around the home, medication reminders, and more.
- Improving mental health. A strong social life has been linked to many benefits for older adults, including a longer life expectancy, fewer health conditions, and improved well-being. Later in life, it can become harder to maintain the same levels of social connectedness that was once had. That’s where caregivers can play an important role by offering companionship, friendship, and warm conversation.
- Giving people more time to do what they love. As we age, it’s normal for activities to take a bit longer than they used to, and home care can help ensure the tasks of daily living don’t keep older adults from enjoying the activities that matter most. Whether it’s putting away groceries or hanging clothes in the closet, caregivers can help older adults complete tasks around the house safely and more efficiently, so they can spend more time focusing on their favorite pastimes.
The Family & Nursing Care Difference
Family & Nursing Care stands ready to support families and reduce their physical and mental load. As one of the most well-respected home care resources in the Mid-Atlantic region, we’ve made it our mission to help older adults live their fullest independent lives in the comfort of their own homes. For more than 56 years, we have helped tens of thousands of families by providing access to a network of over 1,500 experienced caregivers who can assist with a range of home care tasks, including:
- Activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, meal preparation, feeding, and toileting.
- Mobility assistance, including helping someone get up, walking, transferring into or out of bed or a chair, turning and positioning in bed, range of motion exercises, and more.
- Companionship, which includes taking walks, providing company at mealtime, social activities, family events and other functions, errands, accompanying on appointments, and transportation.
- Support services, such as doing laundry, washing dishes, taking out the trash, and light housekeeping.
- Nutrition and paying close attention to dietary needs, preferences, and restrictions by preparing meals and snacks, assisting with feeding, and encouraging fluids.
- Disease specific care, which can include specialized support for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Parkinson’s disease, hospice and palliative care, pneumonia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and depression.
To learn more about Family & Nursing Care’s leading home care services, visit the Home Care Services page on our website.