Caring for an elderly family member is tough. After a few weeks, this starts to become stressful. After a few months, it can be downright exhausting. In many cases, family caregivers begin to experience what is known as caregiver burnout. Not only is this emotionally frustrating and physically demanding, it can lead to you giving your mom or dad, or whoever you are caring for, a lower quality of care than what you normally would be capable of. In extreme circumstances, your parent can be subjected to unpleasant circumstances.
Obviously, this is a situation that nobody would willingly enter into. However, because we can be blind to our own circumstances sometimes, it is a commonplace occurrence. You don’t want this to happen to your family, but the sad truth is, it might happen and you may not even notice that it’s going on.
Here are a few tips to help you avoid burnout and give your mom or dad the high quality of care that they deserve.
One way that you can prevent burnout from impacting your caregiving ability is to relieve stress on your end. Exercise is a great stress reducer, and there are also many health benefits that go along with that, such as lower body weight, a healthier heart, a reduced risk of diabetes, and even a lower chance of dementia later on in life.
Next, get yourself organized. The more organized your life is, the easier some of the daily tasks of being a caregiver will become. Now, I know that this is a lot easier to say than to do. Things like keeping track of medications, preparing meals ahead of time, having a schedule where doctors’ appointments are kept, having transportation worked out ahead of time, and more make this a lot easier for you. The more you are able to plan ahead, the better. This will make unexpected events flow a lot more smoothly because you won’t be in a state of panic already.
With that said, you should know what to do when an emergency occurs. Have important phone numbers visibly posted where you won’t forget to look and have an action plan in place.
Be sure to avoid unhealthy methods of handling stress, such as increased alcohol and tobacco usage, using drugs, or over or undereating. Although these things may provide a temporary relief from the pressures of being a caregiver, they are only going to hurt you in the long run, and have a negative impact on the people that you love.
Finally, don’t forget to use your resources. Enlist the help of other family members in giving care. Use a professional respite caregiver once in a while. And if possible, take your mom or dad’s care wishes into consideration. For example, a lot of seniors prefer staying at home, but others want to have a more active social life. If your parent falls into this latter category, rather than finding a spot for them in a nursing home, an assisted living facility will offer them a more active social atmosphere without the high cost and confinement of a nursing home.
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