Everyone has a breaking point, especially caregivers.
A Caregiver’s Guide to Coping with Stress and Burnout
Caregivers are more likely than the general public to have a chronic illness and to rate their own health as “fair” or “poor” . Other research has shown that the longer a caregiver is in the role, the more likely he or she is to report a decline in health. As this lack of self-care persists, along with the ongoing obligations of providing care for a loved one, caregivers’ exhaustion often intensifies, impacting different aspects of their lives, as well as their effectiveness and compassion as a caregiver.
Caregivers are among the three most-stressed groups in the country, according to the 2012 Stress in America Report by the American Psychological Association. Some researchers call the unique stress experienced by family caregivers a form of posttraumatic stress syndrome. As many as 70 percent of family caregivers show signs of depression, surveys show — far higher rates than for peers who aren’t in a caregiver role.
Although there hasn’t been a lot of research done yet on the stress of a learning curve for caring, she adds, it stands to reason that unfamiliarity makes things more difficult. And that’s doubly difficult when it comes at the same time you’re on a parenting learning curve as your children go through new stages.A key risk factor for caregivers is how many hours you put in and how consuming the work is.
Alzheimer’s caregivers have a uniquely high stress load. They tend to experience high levels of burden and stress due to the regressive nature of dementia and because there are few effective medical treatments. Compounding that stress, these caregivers often keep at it for years. The longer caregivers provide care, the more they report a decline in their own health.
, six in 10 caregivers are female, and 62 percent of higher-hour caregivers, who provide more than 21 hours of care per week, are female as well. Of this group, married women may be at greater risk of burnout, as 27 percent say that providing care has adversely affected their own health, compared to 16 percent of unmarried women or 20 percent of men.
But he says that they are often taking on the most personal tasks of caregiving, helping patients with eating, bathing and dressing, and even handling nursing tasks like giving injections, tube feedings or wound care. Also discuss sleep issues with your care recipient’s doctor and make sure no medications are interfering with sleep. While dementia can lead to sleep disruptions, that can often be remedied with a consistent routine and steps to reduce anxiety.Constantly refill what’s depleted so you’re not stressing about running out of anything. Learn as much as you can about your loved one’s condition and how it/they typically progress.
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