Caregiver tips
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Searching for help
People can become nursing care cases all of a sudden and unexpectedly or slowly and insidiously. In both cases, relatives and those affected have to adjust to a changed situation. Looking after your parents at home not only means a lot of organization, but also raises the question of how to deal with one another properly.
Caring for a loved one in your own family is hard work. Many people quickly reach their physical and emotional limits. In many cases, burnout can be avoided if the relatives seek help in good time and follow a few rules.
Nursing leave for employees
Caregiving relatives are entitled to care leave of up to six months during which they do not receive a salary, but remain insured. The return of the family carers to their employer is guaranteed. During this period, you will usually remain insured through the long-term care insurance. The entitlement to unemployment insurance is retained. If necessary, the contributions to health and long-term care insurance are covered by the long-term care insurance up to the amount of the minimum contribution.
Clarify options
In the family, think about how you imagine the next phase of life in good time. Pay close attention to whether and to what extent wishes can be fulfilled. Clarify early on whether the family relationship is so sustainable and resilient that care at home is possible. Do not act only out of moral pressure and a sense of duty, otherwise you will soon be overwhelmed.
to gather information
If the need for care has occurred, find out as much as possible about the condition of the person in need of care, but also about the prognosis. Knowing what to expect can help organize things early on. Do not let doctors and therapists appease you with sentences like "It'll be fine again", but keep asking until you understand everything. Don't ask once, ask at regular intervals. Also ask about aids that can make the care easier for you.
Distribute work
As a carer, you are often under pressure to perform. The environment expects you to become a "co-therapist" and makes you responsible for the development of the patient's condition. In this situation, you can hardly manage to get a good result.
Therefore, distribute the care over many shoulders in good time. These can not only be other family members, but also professional external care services. There are also many voluntary helpers such as church visiting services.
Complete a nursing course
Take a nursing course. Here you will acquire the necessary knowledge and learn the correct steps. This gives you security in dealing with the person in need of care. The long-term care insurances, welfare associations or the medical services of the health insurers (Medicproof or MDK) offer care courses for relatives. These courses also enable caregivers to exchange experiences. Here you can get help from professionals and those affected and learn how they deal with the stresses and strains.
Clarify expectations
Clarify with the person in need of care which things they can and would like to do and where help is needed. On the one hand, you have to take responsibility and make decisions; on the other hand, the person in need of care should also retain their autonomy and dignity. This area of tension offers the best breeding ground for relationship struggles as well as unspoken expectations and desires.
Create freedom
All care also influences the carer’s relationships with other people, especially with his own family. Sometimes all of family life needs to be adapted to the needs of care. This can lead to frustration for everyone involved. Try to find a balance between your own needs and those of the patient. This is where the family can help you.
Take it seriously if outsiders report that you are becoming increasingly irritable. This is a sign of overload. Try to create space for yourself and your family. The nursing care insurance funds cover the costs of a substitute employee (preventive care) for a maximum of four weeks per year. The prerequisite is that you have cared for the patient for six months (previously twelve months). During this time, you are also insured for a pension.
Take advantage of this offer. Even if the person in need of care does not like to be looked after by a stranger, you also need relaxation. Frustrated and exhausted children are of no use to their parents.
Tags: hospital desire to have children sleep
