… a personal story from someone who lost a loved one
When we see a movie or a TV show, they often depict the elderly as people who display being cranky or having a sour mood. As kids, we have this stereotype clouding our judgment when we face the elderly, hesitant to approach them for fear of being scolded. There’s always this fear at the back of one’s head when interacting with the elderly, especially if one isn’t close to their elderly relatives/aging people.
Fortunately for me, my family is close to each other. This is why I often get to spend time with my grandfather. When he experienced a mild stroke a few years ago, everyone in the family tried to help him in any way they could. I’d find little ways to help him and these little ways brought along lessons for me to learn from. Here are the 3 things I learned from taking care of my grandfather:
Empathy goes a long way
Even though he didn’t mean for it to happen, our lives revolved around my grandfather during the first few months after he suffered a stroke. We had to adjust our plans and our lives around him. There were times when I could feel a small spark of resentment in my chest, but I managed to not feed its flames because I know how difficult this whole thing was for him. So, I learned to empathize. I imagined myself in my grandfather’s shoes and I became more sensitive to his situation. It was easier said than done but being able to empathize makes the whole thing a lot easier because even though it’s difficult for you, it’s a lot more difficult for the person who’s going through it.
Don’t be ashamed to ask for respite care
Just because you need to catch your breath every now and then doesn’t mean you’re not doing your job right. We have this notion that taking a break is a sign of weakness. It’s not. We do need to set time for ourselves since it can help us rejuvenate our senses. There are experienced and compassionate providers of Home Care Services in Vancouver who can step in for us or our family members while we get that much-needed break.
Talking solves a lot of problems
There will always be times wherein resolving a problem through talking might sound absurd but communicating with each other might not be that bad at all. We’ve had disagreements with my grandfather for sure and when I look back to those, the situation would have been avoided if we just only talked it out. Of course, this won’t always be applicable to every misunderstanding that you and your elderly loved one will have so try to assess the situation carefully.
Peachtacular Home Health Care strives to give you services providing Home Health Care in Vancouver, BC the kind of service coming from the heart. Know more about what we can do for your loved one at www.peachtacularhhc.com. We look forward to an appointment with you.
