More than 63 million American adults are involved in caring for a family member with medical needs. While caregiving may include bathing, dressing, cooking, or shopping for food, many times it involves more medical tasks, such as giving injections or managing catheters. Many of these caregivers are “sandwich caregivers,” which means that they are also caring for their own children while they are caring for an older family member.
The caregiver’s part
Add to this the fact that most caregivers also hold down a job, and you have a pretty good idea of how overwhelming life is for a caregiver. Yet it is crucial that caregivers find the time to manage their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Without meeting their own needs, the caregiver will eventually find it impossible to continue caring for their loved ones.
Clearly, a balance must be found to ensure that the caregiver is taking care of themselves. Family members or close friends will want to watch the nurturer carefully for any signs of physical or mental exhaustion to see if they need to offer a helping hand. The caregiver may not recognize that they need help.
Here are some signs of caregiver stress to be aware of:
- Is the nurturer feeling fatigued, anxious, or angry?
- Are they getting enough sleep?
- Are they themselves experiencing any physical pain?
- Are they missing their own doctor’s appointments?
- Do they have enough time to exercise or prepare healthy meals?
- Are they misusing alcohol or prescription drugs?
Connect with others
Once you have taken on the responsibility of caring for someone else, it may be hard to ask others for help. However, if someone is offering you help, take it. Understand that others want to help and feel good about it.
Here are some suggestions to help caregivers help themselves when they feel overwhelmed:
- Take a break when you need it, and ask other family members to step in and help. If possible, hire an aide to help your family member for a few hours each week or sign your loved one up for an adult day-care program to relieve some of the stress.
- Make sure your doctor knows that you are a caregiver so they can advise you about taking care of your own physical and mental health. They may even know of support groups in your community to provide much-needed resources. Contact your local senior center, state department of aging, or social services for additional assistance.
- Do not neglect doing the things you enjoy doing, and keep yourself active. This could be as simple as taking a walk, gardening, reading a book, or exercising at the local gym. Make time to relax by stepping away from your nurturing duties. Watch a favorite TV show or work on a hobby.
- Eating a well-balanced diet is important to your health. Try to prepare meals ahead of time so that you can eat healthy meals without the extra work each day. Make sure you hydrate with plenty of water every day.
- Make sleep a priority so that you have enough energy to care for your loved one the next day. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night and maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
- Try relaxation techniques such as yoga, tai chi, meditation, or listening to calming music or nature sounds. You can practice these techniques by downloading a free app.
- At some point, your loved one may need care beyond what you can reasonably provide. Do not be angry with yourself or feel guilty, especially since you have tried your best. If your loved one must be moved to a residential facility, enlist the help of another family member or friend to assist you in supporting the decision and help you and your loved one in making the transition.
A final message to caregivers is to be kind to yourself, knowing you are making a difference in the life of someone you love.
We have lots of resources for caregivers on our website. Read our helpful guide for caregivers here: https://mackaydressler.com/resources/elder-law/caregiver/.
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