As the population of older adults in America sharply increases — every baby boomer will be 65 or older by 2030 — caregiving responsibilities are becoming more common among working-age adults.
A report by Guardian Insurance found that in 2022, 22% of individuals were balancing work and caregiving duties. That figure represented a six percentage point increase from 2019.
The Guardian Insurance report found that 41% of caregivers report low overall well-being. Olaire Hamilton, regional director of Helping Hands Stay-At-Home Care in Casper, has witnessed the challenges family caregivers face daily.
“We see a lot of caregiver burnout,” Hamilton said. “In addition to the workload there’s often a struggle of an older parent or relative accepting help and understanding their limitations.”
Caring for caregivers
Helping Hands offers respite services to help clients maintain their independence and dignity, often enabling them to stay in their home longer. These services are a lifeline for family members who need to recharge and tend to their other responsibilities.
“About a year ago, I had a phone call from a daughter who was caretaking for her mom who has MS,” Hamilton said. “She told me, ‘I really need help with my mom.’”
The daughter was overwhelmed by her heavy workload, along with the care her mother required and other household responsibilities. Recognizing the challenging circumstances, Helping Hands began by conducting an in-home assessment.
“During the assessment, we broke down her schedule and her needs,” Hamilton said. “A lot of it was helping her get out of bed to start her day and settle in at the end of the day.”
Since that assessment took place, two expertly trained Helping Hands aids have been working in tandem with the daughter to ensure her mother’s needs are met.
“For that family, they have peace of mind that we’ve got Mom taken care of. They are so grateful,” Hamilton said.
Customized care plans
The spectrum of Helping Hands’ services includes meal prep, pet care, companionship, hospital-to-home transition care and transportation and appointment assistance. Recently, the company also put a new emphasis on vision impairment services.
“We step in to do the laundry, make meals or even manage transportation to appointments,” Hamilton said. “This gives family members the break they need to recharge, without worrying about their loved ones.”
The services Helping Hands provides are tailored to a client’s unique needs and often are honed with input from their family caregivers. This meticulous attention to detail ensures seniors receive personalized care while families know that their loved ones are in good hands.
“Bringing in a third set of eyes to really find the areas that need some assistance can shed some light on the situation for both the client and their caregiver,” Hamilton said. “It also means caregivers can focus on their relationship instead of constantly worrying about a list of tasks that need to get done.”
Click here to learn more about Helping Hands Stay-At-Home Care.
