Caregiver Burnout
Burnout is what happens when you try to do it all... and succeed. As caregivers we instinctively try to do it all, we want to be there for our loved one, to take care of them, to make sure they have their medications, that they make it to their doctor appointments and physical therapy and take them out for drives and shop for them and... and forget to take care of ourselves.
It is very easy when providing care for someone else to forget to provide care for ourselves. We get into a pattern of what we need to do each day and forget to include what we have to do for ourselves. We may even feel guilty about taking the time out to do something for ourself when we think we should be doing something for the care recipient. Perhaps there is a feeling that only we can do certain things, maybe when someone tries to help the caregiver will decline the help, even though they know that the other person could do it.
For all the causes of caregiver burnout, there are also a lot of things that can be done to help prevent or overcome it. Aside from the talking to a professional therapist, there are other way to fight back against burnout.
Web MD - Caregiver: Recognizing Burnout
Ohio State University: Caregiver Burnout
The Family Care Research Program: Caregiver Burnout
It is very easy when providing care for someone else to forget to provide care for ourselves. We get into a pattern of what we need to do each day and forget to include what we have to do for ourselves. We may even feel guilty about taking the time out to do something for ourself when we think we should be doing something for the care recipient. Perhaps there is a feeling that only we can do certain things, maybe when someone tries to help the caregiver will decline the help, even though they know that the other person could do it.
For all the causes of caregiver burnout, there are also a lot of things that can be done to help prevent or overcome it. Aside from the talking to a professional therapist, there are other way to fight back against burnout.
- Find someone that you can talk to - for me it is a group of ladies I met years ago on the Internet. We became friends in early 2000, back before my dad had his stroke, and have been there for one another through everything imaginable ever since. They are my strength and support in this insanity and we help one another to get through the aggravations and chaos that hits us out of the blue or on a day to day basis.
- Set realistic goals and get help where you can - I know that there are some points where I can't do it all. More importantly I know that there are points where I don't HAVE to do it all. I let my sister take my dad in to get blood tests or to doctor's appointments. When my mom is feeling okay I let her handle dinner (and not just because she is the world's best cook), or get my dad coffee and whatever. And so forth... Find people that can do little things, such as go shopping for day to day needs (one of my brothers does that for us), pick up prescriptions when you can't make it to town, and so forth.
- Eat healthy and get exercise. This will increase your energy and make it easier to keep up with the things you can't delegate off to others.
- Join, or start, a caregiver support program. There is nothing like talking to people that know what you are going through.
Web MD - Caregiver: Recognizing Burnout
Ohio State University: Caregiver Burnout
The Family Care Research Program: Caregiver Burnout
posted by Sandra at 6:24 PM
1 Comments:
I work for Gilbert Guide a company that writes long-term care facility reviews and also about senior care issues. I recently wrote a blog piece about caregiver burnout. A woman commented on my blog that she felt as if she along with her mother were heading down the road towards burnout, but was unsure how to prevent it. You make a lot of good points in this posting and the idea of guilt does hover over many family caregivers like a dark cloud too often. Family caregivers should always remember that you can only provide good care for others if you taking care of yourself.
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