Family Caregiver Tips for Overcoming Boredom with Routine Care Tasks

It’s hard to admit but even harder to avoid. Feeling bored with your role as family caregiver is a common response to spending a great deal of time together, completing the same tasks, engaging in the exact same activities, and running out of interesting conversation topics. This isn’t at all linked to your feelings for the individual in your care. In fact, they may be feeling just as bored with a stagnant routine.

How can you breathe renewed life into your caregiving relationship? Our team has some family caregiver tips for you to try.

Celebrate! Don’t wait for a birthday, anniversary, or major holiday to make life more interesting and fun! There are hundreds of unique and lesser-known holidays to choose from, for example, National Polar Bear Day, Toast Day, Tell a Fairy Tale Day, and Comfy Day – and those are only a few reasons to celebrate during the last week of February! Or why not designate your own? All it takes is just a little creative thinking as you look around your environment, pick something you are thankful for, and think about ways to make it the star of the day.

Break Free From the Norm. Take a mental walk through the routines you have built, and think about strategies to implement changes. Are you preparing exactly the same bowl of cereal each and every morning? Try doing a quick online search or pull out a couple of cookbooks and find an appealing new recipe to try with the loved one in your care once a week. In the place of those morning game or talk shows, switch off the TV and go for a walk together. Drive a new route to the doctor’s office or hair salon to see some new sights.

Plan Something Fun. Brainstorm ideas for fun outings or new experiences you can plan along with your loved one. These could be as simple as trying a new café in town or traveling to a destination they have always wished to visit but never had the opportunity. If traveling with the senior seems too challenging, consider bringing along an experienced caregiver from CareWorks Health Services! We’re always available to help make dreams come true for the seniors we serve.

Tap Into Your Imagination. Remember creating imaginary worlds of play as children? It can be just as fun as an adult! As you are waiting at the doctor’s office, take a look at the people around you, and try to imagine an extraordinary story of their lives. Challenge the senior to do the same, and then share your stories during the drive home. Practicing mindfulness is yet another way to fully engage in the moment rather than dully observing from the sidelines. Use all five senses to experience your surroundings in a new and intriguing way.

Let CareWorks Health Services help by providing breaks from care that give both of you the opportunity for experiences outside of each other’s company, allowing for interesting conversations to have when you are together again. If you need more family caregiver tips or help from our home care services, call us at (949) 859-4700 to get started!