Each year, a significant number of young adults become caregivers for an elderly grandparent. Some of these individuals are fresh out of high school and lack the knowledge and stability to care for themselves, yet they become primary caregivers. Take a look at some of the challenges young caregivers face when providing care for their grandparents.
1. Inability to Continue with Schoolwork
Most grandchildren caring for their senior loved ones are young adults and have commitments, goals, and aspirations of their own. You need to consider these things before accepting the role of family caregiver. For instance, if you’re still in college and have to take care of your grandparent, this could disrupt your schedule and studying habits. Before taking on the role, ask other family members to help out. You could also look into respite care services. Giving up your personal goals could lead to depression, resentment, and other negative emotions.
Caring for a senior loved one can be challenging for families who don’t have expertise or professional training in home care, but this challenge doesn’t have to be faced alone. Family caregivers can turn to Lincoln Home Care Assistance for the help they need. We provide high-quality live-in and respite care as well as comprehensive Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care.
2. Lack of Time for Self-Care
Caring for a grandparent can cause high levels of depression and anxiety in young caregivers. Even if you’re in great shape, the daily challenges of caregiving could lead to physical and emotional health issues that negatively impact your quality of life. It’s important for you to take care of yourself by getting regular exercise, following a healthy diet, having medical checkups, and getting high-quality rest.
In Lincoln, respite care is a great help to many families. Caring for a senior loved one can be overwhelming at times, which puts family caregivers at risk for burnout. However, an in-home caregiver can take over your loved one’s care, allowing you the time you need to focus on your own health, maintain a full-time job, or care for other members of your family.
3. Financial Strain
Taking on a grandparent’s financial responsibilities could be difficult, which is why you need to ask other family members to pitch in. Costs may be higher if your grandparent has special needs, such as dementia, heart disease, osteoporosis, or diabetes. You need to know what type of insurance your loved one has, as well as the amount of his or her retirement savings, so you can avoid costly situations in the future.
4. Legal Issues
Your grandparent needs to legally name you as his or her power of attorney. Being a legal representative could prevent issues in the future. For instance, if your loved one needs to have a life-saving treatment, you don’t want to face legal battles with your aunts and uncles over the treatment. Speak with an elder law attorney prior to accepting the caregiving role so you understand what your rights are regarding your grandparent’s care.
5. Loss of Social Life
Young caregivers often have to choose between going to the movies with their friends and staying home to care for an aging grandparent. On weekends, you’ll likely be at home helping your loved one take medications while your friends are at a college party or going on weekend getaways with their peers. Many young caregivers miss out on building strong relationships and living a carefree life. However, you’ll need to establish boundaries and set limits. It’s okay to ask others for help so you can maintain a social life.
Caring for seniors is a challenging job, especially when it’s managed alone. If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one living in Lincoln, live-in care is available if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Home Care Assistance, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more. To learn more about our premier home care and schedule a free in-home consultation, call one of our friendly Care Managers today at (916) 226-3737.