Recognize your limits
Often, care partners will provide more support as the needs of the person with dementia increase. This can lead to adding multiple responsibilities on top of one another, which may eventually become unbearable.
In other situations, a care partner may notice new symptoms that the person with dementia needs support with. Then, rather than providing the support themselves, they consider; “who is the best person or service to help with this?”. Utilizing external support provided by other family, friends and health and social care services can be helpful to manage how much ‘caring’ you are doing.
While these are generalizations, it is important to recognize that you cannot, and should not try to manage everything yourself. You also need to care for yourself in order to continue caring for the person with dementia in your life.
Ask for help
Asking for help from others can be hard but it is essential for your own well-being. Many family members or friends are willing to help, but don’t know how to offer their support.
Asking for help is not admitting defeat, it is an important step in getting support to ensure that you can continue to care for the person with dementia in your life.
Plan now, don’t wait.
Plan and start early in seeking assistance from local community or social services as there are sometimes delays and waitlists.
Read our article, planning to use services for more details.
Your first step is contacting your local Alzheimer Society to explore services that are available. It can take time to find the right provider and sort out the services that will work for you.
