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Home » What Kinds of Tasks Can and Should You Outsource as a Caregiver?
Some of these daily tasks may be ones that you’re reluctant to give up. However others can free you up to put your focus where you really want it to be as a caregiver.
Errands and Shopping
If you’ve got a list, then it’s easy enough to delegate certain errands and shopping to someone else. If you’re worried that the task will be overwhelming for one person, break up the list. That allows you to rely on a few other people to help you finish a task that you may not have time for yourself.
Housework
Keeping up with housework is not always easy, especially if you live apart from your aging adult and spend very little time in your own home. You may also want to enlist the help of someone to handle light housework and cleaning at your senior’s home. Many family members might not feel comfortable helping in other ways, but handling a few household chores feels easier. This is a way for them to still contribute.
Yard Work
Besides the interior of your house and possibly your senior’s home, there’s the exterior. Yard work can be extremely time consuming. Delegating that task to someone else who is better equipped to deal with it frees up energy you might have wasted struggling to complete the yard work yourself.
Cooking and Meal Preparation
If your senior has specific dietary requirements, then helping her to eat right can feel extremely complicated. You may want to consider finding another way to manage meal preparation to ensure that your senior consistently has nutritious foods to eat. Having someone else cook for you can also ensure that you’re eating healthily.
Transportation
At some point, your aging adult may no longer be able to drive. She may also decide that she doesn’t enjoy driving and give it up voluntarily. That doesn’t mean that she has to be stuck at home, though. Figuring out other transportation options, such as ride sharing, can help her to still get where she needs to go.
Don’t forget that occasionally caregiving itself is something you might need to delegate. You need time away from being a caregiver, and respite care from friends, family, or caregiver providers allows you that time.