If you are working, caring for young children as well as looking after elderly parents then it’s safe to say you are part of the sandwich generation. A group of 40-60 year olds that find themselves time poor and financially strapped by the heavy responsibility of family. It could be a result of living longer or having children a little later in life but the evolution of a group of people that find themselves juggling a world of responsibility from career to growing children and aging parents is here and is set to rise. Finding a balance in life is hard at the best of times but dealing with these kind of demands certainly can lead to stress, exhaustion and illness for those trying to cope.
So how can you make your life a bit easier? Aging is inevitable, we are all getting old and changes in our bodies happen slowly. When you start to see differences in your parents if may be subtle such as energy levels depleting or not being as steady on their feet, it might be the way they walk that starts you worrying about their wellbeing. They may be perfectly capable of caring for themselves but you can’t help but worry about what will happen if they have an accident when they are out shopping or working in the garden. If they were to fall over and injure themselves, how would they call for help?
Why not consider a device such as a family GPS tracker to help put your mind at rest? They can be worn on a lanyard or clipped to clothing with functions such as a static alert which sends an alert to your contacts if you haven’t moved for a certain period of time and an SOS button that when pressed, will also send a message to alert your contacts. You can view the location of the person on a map on your mobile phone in real time and you can also set safety zones. This function is particularly useful for people with dementia as an alert will be sent when the person wanders in and out of the zone. The trackers are so discreet in their operation that you are literally keeping an eye on your loved one but at a distance. Giving you peace of mind and your relative the independence they need.
When dealing with family pressures and responsibilities you have to call in the troops. Think about who can help you. Are there other family members or siblings that can help share your load? After all, why should the responsibilities fall to one person? Are there neighbours that can act as a first point of contact in the event of an emergency? It’s worth asking as what’s the worst that can happen, they say no, sorry I can’t help you? Looking after yourself is often not a priority. If your needs are coming bottom of the list then perhaps it’s time to think again. Think about it, what will happen if you burn out? What would happen if you took seriously ill? How would everyone cope? Well the reality is this might happen if you don’t give yourself a break. We all know that continual stress leads to one thing – illness. You are no exception so make time for yourself, it doesn’t matter if it’s only a short period of time, a little time is better than no time at all. You can’t put a price on your health so respect it and you will be able to cope with the pressures of life.
