A Family Caregiver's Personal Account: I'm a Family Man with a Mom Who Needs Consistent and Quality Senior Care

As a family caregiver for a mom who needs consistent and quality senior care, I feel that I should share this.

Having a senior parent isn't easy. Before you judge me, continue reading.

I remember when my own mother started showing signs of aging—that is, having her physical and mental faculties slowly declining. It was not easy to accept in the beginning, but we all knew it was inevitable. With her advancing in age, you'll expect that she will slowly lose the physical abilities and strengths she once had. The same is true with her mental abilities. Her focus and sharpness will decrease. She will become forgetful and may even suffer from dementia in varying degrees. No matter how much we wanted it not to happen.

At first, everything seems to be something that I can bear but as days go by, it is becoming more and more evident that she cannot take care of herself anymore. She needs assistance. I realized that looking after a senior family member is already a full-time job. She needs assistance in pretty much everything she does now—especially with her personal hygiene and grooming. Not to be overlooked are her nutritional and medication requirements.

Hiring a Caregiver

It's not easy looking after my mom who requires consistent and quality senior care —coming from me, a family caregiver. Considering that I am a father of 3 and a college professor. There were times I no longer have any idea which tasks to do first. Is it my wife, who just gave birth, because she needs assistance to my crying baby or my mom who just opened the door and said she'll go to the church—in her shorts?! But things, somehow, become manageable when I called a home care agency and hired a home support worker. Providing consistent and quality care becomes easier. Managing my time comes in handy. I can now attend to my family, my work...and more importantly, to my mom, who never fails to give me her tender loving care.