If you’re someone who gets upset at even the smallest mistakes, you might find it difficult to get used to being a caregiver. The truth is that caregivers, just like other people, are going to make mistakes. What you do about those mistakes is what might be an even bigger question, though.
It’s Unrealistic to Expect Yourself to Be Perfect
Lots of caregivers make the mistake of expecting themselves to be perfect. That’s unreasonable and it’s not going to happen. If you’re striving for perfection, that’s an admirable goal, but you’re going to frustrate yourself and your senior. Learn how to let go of that desire to do and to be perfect, because it’s just going to cause you to continue to feel bad about making mistakes. Mistakes are a normal part of being human.
Use Mistakes as a Learning Tool
When you can let go of perfectionism it becomes a lot easier to see mistakes as the opportunity that they are. Mistakes can be a powerful learning tool that helps you to see where you need more information and guidance. There’s a lot about being a caregiver that involves consistently learning more about everything from your senior’s needs to her health issues. The more you learn, the better.
Another Source of Information Is Having Some Expert Help
There’s a lot that you can learn on your own and that’s definitely important. But there’s also a lot you can learn from someone who has more experience than you have with caregiving. Hiring home care providers is a great way to give yourself and your senior a helping hand and a wellspring of knowledge. Home care providers can help you to figure out what you most need to know and to understand to be of the most help to your senior.
Don’t Say Mean Things to Yourself
One of the most important things to know about making mistakes is that if you beat yourself up or say mean things to yourself, that’s not going to help you at all. No one responds well to someone, even themselves, berating them for a simple error. Try to remember to be gentle with yourself and to allow yourself to be human.
If you can get past the fear you have around doing something wrong or incorrectly for your elderly family member you’re going to become a much more confident and effective caregiver for her.
