When Support is not Enough

When we are young, we don’t always realize the complications of relationships as we grow older. We find a person, fall in love, and either work hard to stay together or break apart. This happens many times in most people’s lives.

But as we get older we have so many additional complications. It isn’t just the matter of being in love, it’s rather like running the business of a relationship. Deciding what to buy, when to buy, how to save, and how to make the monthly bills, who will work, who will stay home (if any), when to have children, well you get the idea.

And if by the grace of God you are able to juggle the business of running a relationship, then comes medical issues. Doctors, medications, surgeries, procedures, medical appliances, and machinery, who is able to work, and who may have to suffer alone at home. In a perfect world, as we grow older, our significant other (or children if any) will be able to care for us. But that is not the reality in many cases. If the significant other has to continue working to pay for insurance and mounting medical bills, if additional family obligations weigh upon the relationship, and a myriad of other situations most people face.

Even for couples who are very much in love, supporting each other through the trials of aging can be exhausting. But not all symptoms are only related to exhaustion. There can be other factors that are triggering the symptoms. It is important to realize that mental, as well as physical well-being, must be monitored and nurtured. Not all ailments are visible. Not all mood swings and temper fits are simply anger seeping though. Sometimes the weight of everything is too much, and when that happens the caregiver must also seek medical advice.

We should not be afraid to approach our significant other with concerns for their well being as the caregiver. Perhaps household duties can still be divided into small tasks each individual can accomplish. Perhaps it may be time to consider outside help for household tasks, trips to doctor appointments, and elder sitting.

It is important to try to stay as active as possible both physically and mentally. As we grow older, we should concentrate on eating better and taking medications correctly and on time. We must learn the signs of exhaustion before it is too late.

Don’t let your health suffer before you ask for help! Contact local elder care services even if the person is not considered elderly yet. It may be the best call you can make for saving a relationship or even saving a life.

 

 

28 Jun This entry was published on June 28, 2017 at 1:16 am and is filed under American, At home, Family, Health, Lessons from the past., Living/Style, Nostalgia, Personal, Simple living. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.