Caregiving Discussions: Lifestyle or Career?

Caregiving as a Lifestyle

Whether short-term or long-term, acting as someone’s primary caregiver requires time, money, emotional stamina, physical stamina, and mental wherewithal to make critical decisions regarding medical treatments.

And, when you’re devoting so much of yourself and your life to a role, it’s no exaggeration to say that eventually, that role becomes your lifestyle.

If you’re looking for a way to alleviate the burden of family caregiving, read on! In this article, we’ll discuss the different types of caregiving lifestyles you may fall into, caregiving as a career, and how you can get paid to be a caregiver.

Caregiving as a Lifestyle

According to a study conducted on family care, caregivers can be categorized into five distinct groups of care: compressed generational, broad generational, intensive parent care, career care, and serial care.

Each group represents a different lifestyle. The lifestyles are based on the number of care patients, the age at which one first becomes a caregiver, the length of the caregiving, and the exhaustion of the caregiver’s abilities due to overlaps.

Compressed and broad generational care:

Compressed and broad generational care are the two most common forms of caregiving, according to Fast et al.’s study. These two categories of caregiving involve caring for a family member or close relative and start during the middle to a late period of one’s life. Compressed and broad generational care run for shorter periods of time, with an average of 4-14 years.

Caregivers who fall under these two categories generally care for an aging and/or ailing parent. According to www.caregiver.org, nearly 85% of caregivers care for a loved one, 42% of which for older parents.

Intensive parent care, career care, and serial care:

Caregivers who have taken on intensive parent care, career care, or serial care, constitute the smallest population of caregivers but are overcome with the largest stresses of caregiving.

These caregivers take on the burden earlier in life, between the ages of 30-50, and labor for the longest duration, 10-30 years.

On average 40% of caregivers are classified as being in “high-burden” situations, with the financial encumbrance ranging from $7,000 to $12,000 a year.

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Caregiving as a Career

If you fall under one of the five categories of lifestyle caregiving, it might be time to turn your caregiving into a career, and get paid for the work you already do! Become a professional home care aide, and get paid to take care of aging parents and grandparents.

At AmeriBest Home Care, we understand the burdens involved with caring for a loved one. And, how those burdens can often get in the way of good caregiving. That’s why we do all that we can to create a stress-free, enjoyable experience for our caregivers.

When you sign on with AmeriBest, we’ll provide you with professional training, health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance, holiday pay, overtime pay, sick days, 401k, PTS, and competitive pay.

With AmeriBest Home Care, caregiving isn’t just another stressful obligation, it’s a wonderful and meaningful career.

Give us a call today at (215) 925-3313 or 1800-HOMECARE (for PA residents).

Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Tips and Advice for New Cancer Caregivers

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As we begin Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to take a moment and help all those new to the caregiving world.

Caregiving is a wonderful and fulfilling role, but it comes with its hardships. That being said, we’ve put together a list of easy tips and helpful advice for new caregivers who will be working closely with patients diagnosed with cancer.

In solidarity with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here are 5 tips for new caregivers:

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Talk About It

Breast cancer is not taboo.

In fact, one of the best ways to help cancer patients, past and future, is to talk about breast cancer and raise awareness. By openly discussing breast cancer, you remove the stigmas that dance around it. You allow men and women to feel comfortable asking questions and getting tested. You give victims and survivors an opportunity to share their stories and emotions. And, you offer knowledge and insight to those who would otherwise go unaware.

In a sense, talking about breast cancer is almost just as important as any treatment could be.

2. Brush up on Your Facts

The medical industry is constantly publishing new research and documentation. Reading these findings and staying up-to-date on the latest breast cancer news can help you better serve your seniors. Knowing the facts will enable you to make informed decisions in regard to your seniors’ health care, as well as allow you to have constructive conversations with your seniors about breast cancer.

It’s also wise to brush up on the basic facts regarding breast cancer (what it is, preventative care, treatment, etc.), so that you can feel comfortable answering your seniors’ questions on the topic.

3. Ask for Guidance When Needed

Sometimes you just need an outside opinion or new perspective. There’s no shame in that. Even the most experienced medical professionals ask advice from one another. Because, at the end of the day, we’re all in this together.

If you’re feeling uncertain or unsure, never be afraid to ask for help. Reach out to other medical professionals in the field, caregivers, or experienced friends for a little advice and guidance.

4. Separate Your Emotions

Make sure you’re taking your own emotional health into account.

As a caregiver, it’s all too easy to get swept up in the emotions of those you care for. And, sometimes those emotions are extremely intense.

For that reason, it’s important to listen to your seniors and understand what they are going through, but do not let their pain become yours. Know where your emotions end and where your seniors’ emotions begin.

Sympathizing without taking on another’s emotions is a skill that often comes with years of practice. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, the best thing to do in the beginning is give yourself a little break – a morning, an afternoon, or a day off. And, be sure to remind yourself of the wonderful work you are doing as a caregiver.

Join our caregivers’ team, contact us today! 215-925-3828