Are you a caregiver? Sometimes, the role of caregiver can be too overwhelming, especially when you need to continuously juggle between your workplace and your caregiver responsibilities. Even family caregivers who take care of their elders and have kids have to put immense effort into staying organized amidst all the chaos. So, here are some strategies that might help you to stay organized as a caregiver.
Maintain a to-do list
It is very important to create and maintain a to-do list on an everyday basis. Apart from including your caregiving tasks such as bathing your loved one or assisting in having the meals, include the household chores like meal preparation, grocery shopping, laundry, and others that you can’t skip.
Use a calendar
While fulfilling all the caregiving responsibilities, it happens that a caregiver forgets about the appointments with the physician, which should be avoided under all circumstances. So, use a physical calendar to mark all the appointments by using a marker. You can also use Google calendar if that seems more comfortable to you.
Invest in gadgets
Several gadgets prove extremely helpful in remote monitoring and remembering the intake of medications on time. So, do not hesitate to invest in the same. If you are a caregiver of an elderly with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, use a wearable GPS tracker so that you can be at peace even you are out for some essential work. You can also have a hydration reminder for yourself as caregivers often neglect their own needs. You need to remain hydrated throughout the day.
Look for support
Sometimes, there are so many tasks in your hand that you become puzzled that how you should prioritize them. The result is you become increasingly disorganized. So, admit that it is not possible to do all the tasks without extreme fatigue. Look for support within your family. If they are not eager to help you in your caregiving journey, seek support from friends, colleagues, and even your neighbors. If you need emotional support, you could reach out to various online caregiver support groups.
Keep the loved one engaged
Look for activities that can keep your loved ones engaged or else it will become too difficult to focus on your work. So, encourage your loved ones to engage in creative activities like art and crafts or in gardening so that you can have adequate time to complete all your pending tasks one by one.
Take adequate sleep
A substantial number of caregivers suffer from sleep deprivation. So, again use an audio or video monitor for monitoring your loved ones while they are enjoying a good sleep. You should also make sure that you have at least 8 hours of sound sleep for your physical and emotional well-being. If you have sleep deprivation, you will likely have to struggle more in staying organized as a caregiver.
Last but not the least; do not punish yourself by feeling guilty. Don’t think that you are not doing your best to fulfill your caregiving responsibilities. This feeling of guilt can make you stressful and can lead you to caregiver burnout.