Hindsight is 20-20. This is especially true for adults who are suddenly faced with a crisis in caring for an aging parent or loved one.

Senior Editor of Caring.com, Melanie Haiken prepared “6 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Cared for My Parents,” to help people who might otherwise be blindsided by the demands of caring for an aging parent.

The advice is gathered from people who’ve been there.

  1. I Wish I’d Been More Realistic About What I Could Do.
  2. I Wish I’d Known That Medications Can Affect People Differently as They Age.
  3. I Wish I’d Understood How Attached My Mother Was to Her Things.
  4. I Wish I’d Realized That Someone’s Memory Can Seem Fine, and They Are Still Losing Mental Capacity.
  5. I Wish I’d Understood Sooner That Dementia Causes Anger, Rudeness, and Crazy Behavior.
  6. I Wish I’d Sought Medical Advice About What to Expect From My Parent’s Health Situation.

The fact is caring for an aging loved one is a demanding, always-on endeavor. It’s often a tough physical challenge helping seniors bathe or do household chores. It’s also an emotional weight that can drain care givers of vital energy. Lastly, it’s a mental challenge to stay up on all the developments in senior care, plus all the prescribed medicines, doctor appointments and so on.

The good news is Danville provides the essential support that you and your aging parent or loved ones need. How much support is up to you. We provide everything from live-in care to just one hour a week. We can come by and play cards and check on your loved one, or we can take on more personal responsibilities, like grooming, keeping active and providing someone to talk to and interact with.

It’s important to know that by reaching out for help, you are not giving up and there is no reason to feel bad. With Danville’s help, you gain more free time to spend with your loved one, where caretaking is not the main priority. Doesn’t that sound like a winning plan?