What Do I Do When My Spouse Needs Senior Home Care?

Are you thinking about senior home care for your spouse or loved one?

Senior home care can allow you to continue to live in your home, delaying or sometimes even avoiding a nursing home. Being in familiar surroundings — like the house you’ve shared for decades — can be a blessing. Assuming you have the help and the house is suitable for the caring for someone with a chronic illness.

Deciding about senior home care or other options is a big decision. And you may feel like it is one of many decisions you now need to make alone. It probably wasn’t always this way…

Whether married for a lifetime or much less, many spouses rely on each other. Totally.

And nothing can be more devastating than caring for an aging spouse in sickness, as thousands of couples learn every year.

This is not like caring for someone with the flu. The flu lasts a few days, and usually there is full recovery. Elder care for someone with a chronic illness means you may not see any noticeable improvement. And sometimes with an illness like Alzheimers disease you see mostly progression of the disease.

It may be like nothing you’ve ever dealt with—or even thought about dealing with—before. And you’re not alone. Thousands of couples find this out every year.

Are you angry?

It’s understandable. Anger at the illness that has changed your life dramatically—or threatens to. Anger and sadness can be normal responses to an illness. They also can be signs of depression. Ask your physician if your feelings are normal, or if you need additional help.

With time you may even realize that even if you cannot fix what is wrong, being there is what matters. It’s all that matters.

Is making a change to care for yourself the best senior home care option for you and your spouse?

As the primary caregiver, you need to care for yourself too. Small breaks can mean a lot in keeping you healthy—and happy. What are some of your senior home care options?

An Adult Day Care Center may be an option. There may even be more than one available locally to choose from. If your spouse can get out of the house and enjoys the company of other seniors, this can be a great way to give yourself a much-needed break while giving your spouse an alternative to staying home.
A home care provider may give you part of a day or even an entire day off. It can feel like a mini-vacation. Do you know there are different levels of senior home care? Depending upon the support you and your spouse need, there are different levels of caregivers.
Support groups can also give you the emotional support you need to keep going. When you feel like you are the only one dealing with your problems, a support group can help you see you’re not alone. And they may even have some good ideas on how to handle your problems and challenges.
Focusing on what you need can be an important way to start deciding the best options of care. Do you know there are over 4,600 adult care centers in the U.S.? And the numbers are growing…
And at the end of life, hospice can provide both of you the care you both need. They can give you peace of mind, and a much-needed break from full time care. Unlike just a few years ago, there are often more than one hospice option in an area. You may want to check out your options before you need them so you don’t have to make a last minute decision.

Making a senior home care decision does not have to be made alone. You may be surprised how many professionals, family and friends may want to help you make the best decision. Be sure to seek help in making your decision.