Signs of Burnout in Caregivers after the holidays
Providing constant care for a loved one can be emotionally taxing, especially during the holiday season. You might be burned out if you often feel:
- Depressed
- Fatigued or excessively tired
- Highly emotional
- Irritable without a clear cause
- Resentful of your situation or your loved one
- As if you could hurt your loved one
When combined with physical symptoms, such as muscle aches, trouble sleeping, and loss of appetite, it's understandable that caregivers can suffer and should seek help. Often, caregivers have considered bring in an outside person into the home to help with care or move a loved one to a nursing home. Sometimes cultural traditions of caring for aging family members also factor in and cause immense feelings of guilt. These emotions can clash with feelings of love and responsibility for an older relative.
How Can I Find Relief from Caregiver Burnout?
Many caregivers benefit from support groups. Local community centers, senior centers, and churches often offer caregiver support groups. Many online support groups also are available. In these groups, you can safely share your feelings without fear of judgment and get advice from people who understand what you're going through.
There also may be adult daycare centers in your community that provide affordable respite care. That respite can be a wonderful break for you and a chance for your loved one to socialize with other seniors. The Area Agencies on Aging, located throughout the US, can help connect you with support groups, adult day facilities, and other local resources for senior care.
Hiring a home health nurse or in-home caregiver is another excellent way to find relief from burnout. Families might fear that they'll need to have in-home help around the clock, and it will cost thousands of dollars a month. For most families, this is not the case. There are many options available to help caregivers. A nurse or caregiver comes by a few times a week, usually just for part of the day. A home health nurse can help with medications or changing wound dressings and coordinate a care plan. A caregiver or home health aide can help with bathing and other personal care and provide respite or companion care, giving family caregivers a break in their day. Respite care from a BrightStar Care aide can allow family caregivers to relax.
Support like this is vital to preserving a caregiver's mental and physical health and benefits individuals who need care. Aging adults can feel as if they are a burden to their caregivers. Additional care from an in-home nurse or caregiver provides your aging loved one a break from feeling like a patient and can help improve the strain on a relationship.
Read more about caregiver respite HERE: And find more reading here:: Understanding Caregiver Support Systems
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