7 New Year’s Resolutions for Home Caregivers
New Year’s resolutions date all the way back to the Babylonians, over 4,000 years ago, when at the start of their new year they made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. Thankfully, new year’s resolutions for home caregivers don’t need to be quite as daunting as that!
A new year presents new opportunities for growth, both personally and professionally. Home caregivers can always aspire to provide even better home care services for their clients. Keep in mind that big changes are not always necessary and that it’s often the little things that count.
New Year’s Resolutions for Caregivers
New Year’s resolutions for home caregivers are a great way to reset goals from the previous year and set new intentions for the upcoming year. Below are some ideas to get things started!
Take Steps Towards Healthy Eating
Even the healthiest of people can still find room for improvement with healthy eating habits. Taking steps towards healthy eating can be as simple as including one more piece of fruit in your diet each day, or having one extra serving of leafy greens each week. The alternative is to eliminate something that is unhealthy from your diet. Work with a nutritionist, ask advice from your doctor, or eat what intuitively feels right to you. Even a small adjustment can make a difference in your health and adds up over time.
Learn a New Caregiving Skill
Advancements are continually being made in the caregiving field. Ask your home care agency for an assessment to see if there are any skills you could be integrating into your home care services. Another idea is to have a brainstorming session with other caregivers, to see what is working well for others in your profession. A new skill could range from eco-friendly house cleaning techniques to advancements in dementia care to learning how to improve non-violent verbal communication. The possibilities are nearly endless!
Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude
The reasons to practice gratitude and mindfulness are plenty. Studies show improvements in everything from physical health to emotional wellbeing to relationships with others. Practicing gratitude and mindfulness is unique to each person and their preferences, but there are some tried and true methods that many people find useful. Actioning the qualities of gratitude and mindfulness can range from physical activity to spending time with loved ones.
Update Caregiving Training
Reputable home care agencies offer a variety of training classes for their home caregivers. While some training sessions are mandatory, others are optional. New Year’s resolutions for home caregivers can include adding one optional training session for the year — or more if you have the time and the bandwidth. Community and wellness centers are other places that may offer workshops and training that would be useful for home caregivers.
Increase Self-Care
Considering the variety of tasks and the physical, emotional, and mental requirements, it is no wonder that home caregivers can suffer from burnout. Home caregivers spend so much time taking care of others that they can forget to take care of themselves. This is why self-care for home caregivers is particularly important. For most people, even if they are practicing self-care, chances are, they are not doing enough. Some ideas for increasing self-care include taking more time for yourself, increasing checkups with your doctor, checking in with your home care agency for signs of burnout, and getting more exercise.
Try a New Activity
This new year’s resolution for home caregivers can apply to clients, too! Trying a new activity is almost always fun and can be integrating into your home care services. A new craft project, a new form of exercise, or even a new recipe are all things that can be done with seniors and people with disabilities. Of course, you don’t have to try new activities with your clients — trying a new activity on your own is just as valid! The important thing is to have fun and enjoy.
Reach Out for Support
Home caregivers sometimes do not reach out for support when they need it because they do not want to be a burden to others. But it becomes increasingly difficult to support clients when you need support yourself. A reputable home care agency will have services in place for caregiver support. You can also reach out to your doctor, therapist, other caregivers, or family and friends. If you are a family caregiver, consider enlisting the help of professional home care services, so that you don’t acquire burnout.
Have a Happy New Year!
If you or a loved one need of home care services, or if you are interested in becoming a home caregiver, please reach out to Alegre Home Care! We have locations throughout Northern California.
