Caregivers often become victims of their own compassion when caring for loved ones who can no longer look after themselves. Because caregiving can be an all-encompassing, 24/7 responsibility, caregivers can easily lose sight of their needs and risk their own good health.
Common stressors for caregivers include:
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A resistant/angry care receiver
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Family disagreements
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Legal and financial challenges
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Changes in work and home life
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Physical and emotional burdens
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Uncomfortable feelings such as frustration, anger, guilt or depression
Research has shown that family caregivers who experience high stress levels age prematurely and may lose as much as 10 years from their life. Further, 23 percent of family caregivers who perform this role for five years or longer report that this has caused their health to deteriorate, and rate their health status as fair or poor.
Self-assessment
An astounding 10.9 million family members and friends provide unpaid care for someone who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease or dementia. If you are one of those caregivers or look after a person with another chronic disease, then it's imperative that you take stock of your situation to see if you're at risk for caregiver role strain. There are many tools and resources that help in self-evaluation. For example, the American Medical Association in conjunction with the American Geriatric Society offers a self-assessment questionnaire. It has 18 questions to which you answer 'yes' or 'no' and then score to determine if you are at a high level of stress. Here are 10 questions from this survey:
During the past week or so, I have:
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Felt completely overwhelmed
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Felt lonely
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Been edgy or irritable
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Found my care receiver's living situation to be inconvenient or a barrier to care
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Felt ill (headaches, stomach problems, common cold)
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Felt useful and needed
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Had difficulty making decisions
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Felt a loss of privacy and/or personal time
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Been upset that my care receiver has changed so much from his/her former self
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Been satisfied with the support my family has given me
Caregiver needs are varied, but extremely important for the health and well-being of both the caregiver and care receiver. Consider these important tips so you don't neglect yourself.
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Take a respite break from caregiving. Many experts in the field of aging and caregiving put this at the top of the 'to-do' list for caregivers. Maintaining a life outside of caregiving is essential to your well-being and helps fight off symptoms of depression and isolation.
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Recognize that your needs and feelings count. Caregivers are perfectly within their rights to say "I can't do it" and ask for outside help.
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Ask questions and demand to be heard. Learn about available community resources and talk to your physician and/or your care receiver's physician about your limits and concerns regarding caregiving duties.
Recognize the Rewards of Caregiving
Though caregiving is without doubt difficult, many find it rewarding as well. For example, the American Psychological Association did a study which concluded that caregiving can bring benefits to the caregiver, including:
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Giving their life meaning
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Pride in success as a caregiver
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The ability to give back to someone else (gratefulness)
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A sense of being important and needed
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Learning to put someone else's needs first
Yes, caregivers must watch for symptoms of stress and strain related to their responsibility. But with a balanced and healthy approach to caregiving, the benefits of caregiving can be positive and rewarding. Can we help you find the right caregiving approach?
