Think back on your teen years. Remember how important it was to locate a safe spot to be by yourself, to shut out the world, turn the music up, and record your most secret thoughts in your diary?
The need for privacy that began then can become overshadowed when providing care for someone else. Yet it is still vitally important to be able to separate yourself both mentally and physically from your care role to take time for yourself.
How Can a Caregiver Make Privacy a Priority?
Honestly, it isn’t always easy. You may feel as if you need to always have at least one ear and eye open to the needs of the person in your care. There are some steps you can take to help, however. Try:
- Determining house rules. In shared living spaces, come up with some basic rules of etiquette that are fair for everyone. For instance, take turns selecting television shows to watch, so one person isn’t monopolizing the remote. Compromises similar to this will likely make together time less stressful for all.
- Designating a spot of privacy for yourself and the older adult. After all, they need privacy just as much as you do. Agree that whenever either of you needs some alone time, you can retreat to your chosen spot and only interrupt one another in case of an urgent situation.
- Considering emotional privacy. Be sure to take regular breaks from care that enable you time to disconnect fully from your care role. Go on getaways, attend activities and events with other close friends and family members, take a book to the park for a stress-free afternoon. Generations at Home’s care experts are always readily available to fill your caregiving shoes when you take some time for self-care.
Special Considerations for Dementia
If the person in your care is having difficulties with the challenges of dementia, finding privacy becomes even more challenging – and more important to obtain. The person might need around-the-clock oversight to ensure safety, but this doesn’t mean that you should (or can) provide that amount of care yourself.
We often hear from primary family caregivers that there isn’t anyone within their circle of close friends and family who knows the person or the requirements of dementia care well enough to assist. This is when our highly trained and experienced dementia caregivers are an invaluable component of your care team. We can partner with you to guarantee the consistent, skilled, reliable care a person with dementia needs, as you take the regular breaks from care you need.
Contact us at 727-940-3414 to get more caregiving tips and assistance in finding a healthier life balance.
