Reducing Stress at Home with Your Elderly Relatives Who Have Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease

Living with dementia or Alzheimers can be challenging for both the senior loved one and those who love them. We know you are working hard to maintain a healthy household but even when you are taking great care of your relative, the one thing that family caregivers most often overlook is their own stress.

Stress is bad for both caregivers and those living with dementia, as it can cause unnecessary strife when there should be harmony. Whether you are getting overwhelmed or there are specific stress triggers in your life, Senior Helpers Bakersfield is here to help with a few words of good advice.

Here are a few ways you can reduce stress at home while caring for an elderly relative with dementia or Alzheimer's Disease.

Accept Your Stress

First, remind yourself that it's OK to be stressed. You can love your relative (and yourself) and still accept that you are in a stressful situation. Accepting your stress and forgiving yourself for being stressed is the first step to releasing that inner tension in a healthy way - and to finding solutions that avoid stress in the future.

Set Boundaries and Build Routines

The best way to reduce the oft-felt stress of dementia care at home is to establish boundaries and build routines. Boundaries allow you to defend your personal and mental space, and those living with dementia find routines to be the easiest way to respect those boundaries - even if they do not always remember why the boundaries are in place.

Create Structure in the Home Environment

Creating structure can also help both you and your relative to reduce stress. A good routine and household structure are comforting for those living with dementia, and can help you establish a place for your own care within your household structure.

Catch a Break When You Feel Stressed

If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a break. It's OK to go for a walk or find somewhere quiet to simply be. Parents, for example, quickly learn that time-outs help to calm both parties. The same can be true when living with someone with dementia.

Get Respite Care When You Need It

If you need to take a break and don't have someone to take over for you, call for respite care. Senior Helpers Bakersfield can send a professional caregiver to ensure your elderly relative is safe and cared for while you take a few hours for yourself when you need it most. Having a caregiver to trade off with can also ensure your long-term mental health and ability to love your relative without stress.

Use Constructive Ways to Release Stress

If you are feeling a lot of tension, seek constructive ways to release the stress. Go for a run, take up martial arts, or talk it out with a trusted friend. People with healthy, routine stress outlets can be more resilient and kind in their daily life.

Find Respite Care with Senior Helpers Bakersfield

If you live in the Bakersfield area including Delano, Frazier Park, Lamont, and Wasco, we can help. Senior Helpers Bakersfield is your source for reliable routine and respite caregivers who are experienced in caring for seniors that live with dementia. Contact us today to learn more.