Accepting Help And Letting Go Of Caregiver Guilt

 

Lots of people in the UK are caregivers for family members or close friends. They give up their time to take care of others and often don’t give themselves enough credit for everything they do. These people aren’t professionals and this isn’t their full-time job, they are simply doing all they can to support their loved ones.

 

When you are a caregiver it is really easy to feel you aren’t doing enough. Taking care of another adult simply isn’t something you can do alone whilst stay healthy and happy. It can be hard really hard to accept but, you probably need help, help that can not only change your life but, can dramatically change your loves one’s life too. If you feel as though this is a situation you are currently in then, keep reading today, Companions Of London are here to help you let go of caregiver guilt. 

 

Why it can be hard to accept help 

 

Actually allowing others to help, asking for some help or even reaching out and hiring help is something that lots of caregivers struggle to do. There is a natural tendency to feel as though you can do this on your own and caregivers find it hard to accept help for many reasons but, usually, the following feelings play a part;

 

Feeling guilty 

 

It isn’t uncommon to feel guilty for even wanting help and not wanting to do everything yourself. This guilt can cause people to shy away from help and avoid accepting anything offered to them even if it is just a visit from an elderly companion or a friend. 

 

Feeling unworthy

 

Caregivers can also feel as though they don’t deserve the support or the help that is offered to them. As the trusted family member or friend, they think they are supposed to being doing everything themselves, almost like it is their duty. 

 

Feeling worried

 

This is one of the biggest feelings that gets in the way of accepting help. Trusting others with caring for your loved ones and knowing you won’t be there to manage the whole situation is scary. People worry that things will go wrong or their loved ones will get hurt and that people will blame them for not doing things themself. 

 

Overcoming negative feelings about caregiving help

 

Understanding and admitting the feelings mentioned above and then coming to terms with the fact that people are here to help you a is definitely the first step. Slowly accepting help and allowing people to take some of the weight off your shoulders should make you feel better but, this isn’t always the case. You aren’t alone if you feel this way and there are things you can do to help overcome the negative feelings you are experiencing about accepting caregiving help; 

 

Easing guilt

 

The best way to ease the guilt that you’re feeling is by being honest with yourself about why you might need the help. You can also remind yourself that the negative feelings you are experiencing towards caregiving is completely normal and that others are experiencing them too. You’re only human and there is only so much you can do. 

 

Overcoming unworthiness

 

Try taking to a close friend or your partner about the way that you’re feeling. Opening up and getting someone else’s opinion can help you to realise that you are worthy of help and this isn’t something you should be doing alone. We can almost guarantee that they will convince you that you deserve some help.

 

Reducing worry 

 

This feeling is completely justified and it is normal to feel worried when trusting someone else to care for your loved ones. However, constantly being worried about what might happen isn’t going to prevent bad things from happening. Try easing yourself into caregiving help by working alongside a professional for a few days before you completely hand over.

 

How Companions Of London can help 

 

Accepting help and letting go of caregiver guilt won’t happen overnight, it is something that takes time. One of the best things you can do to help you is to find a friendly company that can provide you with reliable care services. Speaking to professionals and getting to know people who can help you will ease the whole situation and make things much less daunting. 

 

Whether you’re searching a short term respite home care provider of more of a long term elderly home care provider Companions Of London can help. We specialise in providing highly trained professional carers to help anyone that needs them. We can provide many different levels of domiciliary care to meet a wide range of needs so, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team today.