Caregiver in Pennsylvania
No matter why you made the decision to become a family caregiver for your aging parents, whether it was because they stopped driving and you need to help them by running errands, or because they suffer from a variety of medical conditions that make living independently unsafe for them, it is likely you will 
experience caregiver stress.
Caregiver stress is a very real issue among those who care for their aging loved ones and it puts you at serious risk of physical and mental health consequences. Those who face this type of stress are more likely to lose sleep, suffer from depression, experience higher instances of colds and other illnesses, and develop anxiety than those who are not in caregiving relationships. While these consequences have a negative impact on your quality of life, they also diminish your capacity to provide compassionate, nurturing, and effective care for your aging parents. Coping with this stress is essential for protecting your own health and guarding the effectiveness and safety of your caregiving relationship.
There are many ways to cope with caregiver stress, but using inspirational quotes and daily affirmations is one that offers a continuous emotional boost without requiring an extra time, financial, or physical investment. Using these simple tools while performing other tasks provides a moment of peaceful calm, strengthens your resolve, and helps you focus on things outside of the immediate challenge so you can overcome it and move forward. These moments of positivity throughout your day can guide you through the various demands placed on you by your caregiving relationship and help you to be a healthier, happier person and better, more attentive caregiver.
The inspirational quotes and daily affirmations you choose are a very personal decision. It is important that these moments work for you on a personal level, which means they must address something you face and that causes you stress. What works for one caregiver may be ineffective for another, so it is important to first recognize the things in your care activities that cause you the most stress and come up with quotes and affirmations that counteract these. Use these ideas as a starting point to begin coming up with your own quotes and affirmations:
• Be your own cheerleader. Do you have something you wish others would say to you to make you feel more confident about your care activities? Say them to yourself through your affirmations. “You are doing a great job”, “You can handle this”, “You will get through today”, and “Just take it one day at a time” are simple phrases that remind you that your efforts matter and that you do have the strength to get through your challenges.
• Be honest. Confront the things that are truly bothering you, and give them a positive spin. If your mother is combative because of dementia, have an affirmation that tells you “It is only the disease talking.” If your father is a particularly challenging person to bathe, tell yourself “Every part is an accomplishment.” No matter how small or silly these reassurances are, they can put your mind at ease and help you get through specific challenges in your day.
• Rely on spiritual support. Look to spiritual texts to find phrases that speak to you and give you strength. Use these as quotes or to build personal affirmations. Even something as familiar as the Serenity Prayer can be highly effective at guiding you through difficult times.
• Use famous quotes. Go online and research quotes from famous people about strength, confidence, ability, overcoming challenges, and mattering to others. Use these quotes to build your confidence and remind you of why you are doing this every day.
Write out your quotes and affirmations on index cards and tuck them into your purse, or put them on post-it notes and secure them around your home so you can see them while doing other things. You can even tuck them throughout your parents’ home so you stumble upon them while performing your caregiving duties. Use these little moments of reassurance to refresh your resolve and keep you going.
If you are considering hiring caregiver services in Pennsylvania, call the caring staff at Extended Family Care of PA at (888) 660-6478.
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