With a belief in higher and unseen forces, some families have found that handling a terminal illness in a senior loved one often becomes far less stressful and depressing. The end of a life can become a new beginning, and caregivers can look beyond themselves for strength, support, and meaning. For this and other reasons, practicing spirituality and faith is often an important part of caregiving, especially when senior loved ones are living with chronic and degenerative illnesses.
Benevolence
In the best of circumstances, spirituality opens the door to the recognition that the universe is ultimately benevolent. Age and experience often teach people that in troubling circumstances, doorways of opportunity open, support comes from where it’s least expected, and other surprisingly positive developments occur without explanation.
A belief in benevolent outside forces opens up the realm of possibility. Caregivers with spiritual beliefs know that when everything becomes overwhelming and bleak, help can be just seconds away. This allows them to handle their day-to-day responsibilities with greater levels of positivity.
Professional home caregivers can be a wonderful source of support for families. If you’re the primary caregiver for a senior family member and are looking for professional senior care, Assisting Hands Home Care should be your top choice. Our dedicated and compassionate caregivers are committed to helping older adults address their health issues and enjoy a higher quality of life in the golden years.
What Faith Means
Faith is simply a belief in the unseen. For those who cultivate their spirituality, faith gives reason for hope when no visible or otherwise apparent reasons for hope exist. Caregivers spend much of their time hoping for adequate resources, changes in their loved ones’ health conditions, and the promise of something good for their family members after death. Faith is the belief that these hopes aren’t groundless. Faith makes it easier to appreciate the present moment with family members and to let them go when the time to do so arises.
Evaluating Core Beliefs
Caring for a terminally ill relative is an important time to review your core beliefs. The beliefs you hold dearest must allow you to be the best person you can possibly be by alleviating stress and giving you access to a world that’s actively in your corner rather than fighting against you. If you’re living with a constant sense of impending doom, fear, frustration, or anger or feel as though your current circumstances or your loved one’s circumstances are the undeserved punishment of an inherently angry or uncaring universe, it’s vital to reevaluate your core beliefs and seek a more positive outlook.
Family caregivers need to care for their own wellbeing. If you’re caring for an aging loved one and are feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional caregiver to provide Home Care. San Diego families who want to prevent burnout can turn to Assisting Hands Home Care. One of our professional caregivers can assist your loved one at home while you take a nap, go to work, run errands, or go on vacation.
Letting Loved Ones Go & Acting as a Guide
With faith and spirituality, the inevitable winding down that occurs at the end of life can be a peaceful and positive moment rather than an event that must be feared. You’ll have the sense of calm and peace of mind to act as a loving guide to your family member as he or she mentally, physically, and emotionally prepares for death.
Surprisingly, with a belief in a higher power and forces unseen, this experience can bring you much closer to a magical realm of possibilities than can any other life event. You’ll have the chance to usher your loved one into a higher state of pain-free existence, which is a responsibility that can provide a lifelong sense of gratitude.
Mindfulness & Meditation
Irrespective of what your core beliefs might be, taking the time to practice mindfulness and meditation can make your caregiving efforts infinitely easier. Make an effort to spend a few minutes alone each day to sit still and focus intently on your breathing. This act will bring you fully into the present moment so you can stop looking ahead to future stresses and appreciate the good things you currently have.
The greatest benefit of a faith-filled and spiritual life is that you never have to move beyond the demands of your present circumstances and can truly experience the now. This can alleviate a tremendous amount of stress and help you find joy in places in which no room for joy appears to exist.
If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one living in San Diego, at-home care is available around the clock if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Assisting Hands Home Care, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more. Call one of our friendly Care Managers to learn about ways our experienced caregivers can help your loved one.
