Hiccups To Avoid With Your Family Caregiver Staycation
Are you a family caregiver who wishes to take a short break from their responsibilities and go on a mini-vacation alone or with friends? A staycation might be the answer to your needs. But what if there are certain irritants that you could avoid while enjoying your oasis? In this blog post, I will share some hiccups that you should avoid to have a fulfilling staycation.
What’s a family caregiver staycation?
Staycation is defined by Dictionary.com as “a vacation spent at home or near home, doing enjoyable activities or visiting local attractions.”¹ For family caregivers, staycations are much needed. For practical purposes, it could last a few hours to a portion of the day. The challenges of family caregiver strain can include insufficient sleep, social isolation, and feeling overwhelmed. Imagine having someone else take care of your elderly loved one, whether it's another family member, a friend, or a hired in-home caregiver so that you can enjoy a staycation. The possibilities are endless. The mere thought of a staycation can bring about feelings of refreshment and rejuvenation, leaving the mind and body rested and energized to face new challenges.
Not being realistic with your schedule
Don’t try to cram too much into your staycation. Resist this temptation. Staycations should bring rest, not make you harried and exhausted. Set contingency time ‘margins’. Do your research. Think local attractions. A popular website is www.tripadvisor.com. It features resources to learn about local attractions. Plan for bite-size excursions. Pace yourself. Instead of a sprint, try the leisure stroll. Whatever experiences you missed you can enjoy on your next staycation.
Not considering your dominant personality
Are you an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert? Ask yourself, ‘Will my staycation give me more energy or sap it’? Customize your staycation to what brings you the most joy, being alone, with others, or a combination of these. It’s all about filling your tank with rejuvenation. There’s that sweet word again.
Make a simple graph. Write columns with the above titles: introvert/extrovert/ambivert.
List staycation activities that fall under these titles. Circle what appeals to you. Then follow up with planning.
Procedures with new fill-in caregiver not every day tested yet
It might be a good idea to plan a staycation after your fill-in caregiver has had some time to get familiar with the tasks and establish a routine, say, after a few care days. You can expect to receive several questions from a new caregiver. If you go on a staycation, you might not want to be bothered by frequent questions. Understandably, a new caregiver may have more questions about caring for your elderly loved one.
Being that helicopter family caregiver
I’m referring to micro-managing the fill-in caregiver. Obsessing with minutiae. It causes you stress, which is the opposite of the goal of your staycation – to enjoy a relaxing getaway. Before a caregiver takes your place for your staycation think through a typical day of your elder loved one. Make notes of the tasks to be completed. Read it through, aloud if possible. Try to simplify these. Where possible, ‘chunk’ tasks in reasonable groupings. Clear instructions help caregivers. Let the caregiver provide service a few times while you’re either at home or on a nearby errand. Get their feedback. Find ways to clarify instructions and to simplify tasks. Trust the process. By not obsessing over minor details, you improve morale.
Planning for the busiest times of the week (or year)
Every locale has a natural rhythm for business activity. Ask these establishments which days are busiest. If possible, avoid these. Because during peak days, parking takes longer. Same for restaurant wait times. Google has a Popular Times Feature. It’s a free tool that gives you feedback such as the establishment’s busiest days/times, wait times, and visit duration. Initiate a Google Maps and Search query for an establishment and you’ll find data within this feature below regular business information. Not all establishments have this feature, but it’s worth checking into. Meanwhile, if you’re seeking solitude in nature, target those days that afford you these opportunities.
Relying only on yourself
One unsustainable promise family caregivers may make to an elderly loved one is “If anything happens to you, I will be the only one caring for you. There’ll be no other caregiver.” You just can’t do it all.
You need respite. If your health breaks down things could be much worse. Staycations help fill needed emotional resources. You’re better prepared to serve well. Perhaps you’d feel guilty if you took a staycation. Getting outside help from another family caregiver or hired in-home caregiving is okay. This may be a new mindset you’re working on. Allow others to share in the joy of giving. Help your elder loved one receive help from others. They’ll grow socially. And you’ll come to understand that being part of a care team has great benefits.
A hired in-home caregiver can help
Select a reliable fill-in caregiver. Nothing is worse than planning for a much-anticipated staycation and your fill-in caregiver either is late or is a no-show. Coordinating your staycation and scheduling fill-in help with family or friends might just be the biggest challenge you face. That’s because relying on friends and family can be hit-and-miss. They have limited availability due to their busy schedules. Accordingly, a hired in-home caregiver is a good choice. We can match your schedule. Another benefit is that our employee caregivers have a purpose to help. They excel in companionship. They’re California Department of Justice background screened and FBI fingerprinted. You’ll enjoy peace of mind. If you’d like more information on scheduling an in-home caregiver, please contact us, we’d be happy to talk with you. Contact Bradley Yee, Administrator. Telephone: 805-238-3500 or email: info@christianlovehomecare.com.
Conclusion
In the introduction, I discussed the issue of family caregiver strain and how staycations can help alleviate it. I have also provided some tips on what to avoid when planning a staycation as a family caregiver. It is important for you to take regular staycations to take care of yourself and your loved one. So, what are two or three hiccups that you will avoid when planning your staycation?
References list:
(2022, October 7) Caregiver Stress: The Impact on Physical Health. National Council On Aging. https://www.ncoa.org/article/caregiver-stress-the-impact-on-physical-health
Tripadvisor www.tripadvisor.com
(2022, July 26) Introverts vs. Extroverts: What’s the Difference? Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/introvert-vs-extrovert
(retrieved 2024, March 9) Google Help: Popular times, wait times, and visit duration found here: https://support.google.com/business/answer/6263531?hl=en#:~:text=Popular%20times%20graph%3A%20This%20graph,over%20the%20last%20few%20months.
Foonotes:
¹ Dictionary.com (retrieved 2024, March 7) The word staycation. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/staycation
