Home Care in Cherry Hill NJ
July 2 is I Forgot Day. If you are caring for your aging parent you know just how easy it is for your schedule to get so busy that you start forgetting what you need to be doing or to get confused and end up doing things at the wrong times. This can be frustrating and time-consuming, but in some situations it can also be dangerous for your aging parent or yourself. Staying organized is an essential part of being the best quality caregiver you can possibly be for your elderly loved one, as well as making sure that you get everything that you need to get done done for your children, yourself, your partner, and any other obligations that you have in life.
Use these tips to get yourself organized on I Forgot Day and keep yourself organized throughout your care journey with your elderly parent:
- Write it down. When you come upon a task that you need to complete, whether it is your grocery list or a doctor’s appointment, write it down. Do not rely on inputting it into your notes feature of your mobile device as your only means of recording it. Studies have shown that actually physically writing something down helps to commit it to memory more effectively. Writing something also has a way of making it seem more “real”, which can make you more likely to follow through with it, even if you do not realize you are doing so.
- Have a calendar. Having a visual of everything that you need to do is an effective way of keeping these things in your mind and helping you to manage them efficiently. Like your process of writing them down, this should be a large calendar that you physically write items on rather than just the calendar in your phone or in your email. Post this calendar somewhere highly visible in the home so that you are forced to see it several times a day to keep the items in your mind.
- Practice the “six things” approach. Every evening, prepare a to-do list for the next day. At the top of this list write the six most important things that you need to do in order of importance. These should be the things that you absolutely have to do. Once you have those recorded you can finish the list with other tasks that you need to do. In the morning start with your “six things” and do them until they are complete. Once they are complete you can move on to the rest of the tasks. What you do not finish gets moved to the next day.
If you find yourself overwhelmed or realize that you are struggling to keep up with everything that you need to do, it may be time to consider senior care for your elderly loved one. Hiring a senior home care services provider can allow you to divide up responsibilities and ensure that you have the time, focus, and energy to handle all of the tasks on your to-do list each day.
For home care in Cherry Hill, NJ, and the surrounding areas call and talk to us at Home to Stay Healthcare Solutions (856) 321-1500.
