If your New Year’s resolution is to make changes as a family caregiver, consider what type of elder care services are needed for you and your family, and what you want to contribute. Non-medical in-home care services can include personal care, companion care, transportation, and care coordination. You can choose which responsibilities you want to share with a professional Home Care Agency and what you want to continue providing yourself. Often a family caregiver might feel most comfortable with providing companion care for a loved one. This type of eldercare can include: • Driving someone to the grocery store, a medical appointment, or to meet up with friends • Playing games and doing puzzles together • Assistance with meal preparation • Light housekeeping, including laundry and doing the dishes Although a family member is typically preferred, in-home caregivers for the elderly can do all of these tasks and provide your loved one with the opportunity to make a new friend. Hiring a caregiver can allow family to remain just that; being a child or spouse without also being a driver, sous chef, and housekeeper. When it comes to personal care, family members tend to prefer hiring someone to take on certain responsibilities that are too intimate or awkward for them. Some tasks might require specialized training to do them correctly and others are too physically challenging for the family caregiver to complete. Personal in-home care can include: • Assistance with bathing or showering • Assistance with grooming and getting dressed • Toileting help • Transferring properly from a bed or chair As you assess your time and abilities as a caregiver, consider that you may not be the right person for all of the jobs needed. While you make every effort to care for your loved ones, remember that you need to keep caring for yourself too. There can be balance when it comes to caring for an elder loved one whose life has changed due to age, illness, or injury. Making changes where appropriate, and sharing the load, can foster interdependence and not just independence.