The caregiver for an elderly family member is often that person's elderly spouse or an adult child with their own children still living at home and a full-time career. Both scenarios can, and frequently do, lead to what's known as elderly caregiver stress. This is especially true if the person being cared for suffers from a long-term progressive disease such as dementia/Alzheimer's disease. People with dementia require high levels of care and support, which unfortunately can result in elderly caregiver stress. In fact, such caregivers are sometimes referred to as invisible second patients, because of the negative physical and psychological impact of the caregiver role.
Research on family caregivers of people with dementia has found that about 75 percent of caregiving is provided by family and friends. The largest proportion of these caregivers are spouses, followed by children and children-in-law; most are female. And, even when a caregiver is highly motivated to perform his or her role, he/she may have physical limitations or impairments such as vision problems or limited upper body strength which makes for greater elderly caregiver stress.
Caregivers for a loved one with dementia often provide help with dressing, preparing meals, feeding, assistance with toileting, and bathing. Many live in an exhausting state of hyper-vigilant watchfulness for those dementia patients who suffer from wandering symptoms. This occurs in nearly two-thirds of people with dementia; once a dementia/Alzheimer's patient wanders once, she or he is almost certain to do so again.
Sometimes, the responsibilities and strain of caregiving are simply too much for an elderly spouse or other family member to handle effectively and safely, and the best solution is to find an excellent dementia care community setting where care is provided by experts trained in dementia and elder issues, and where the environment is secure and safe to prevent wandering and other accidents.
However, for those caregivers and families who wish to provide informal, at-home care for their loved one, here are 6 tips for dealing with elderly caregiver stress.
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Build your own support team. These should be people you can count on, which may or may not include family members. Your team might be trusted neighbors, friends, a favorite nurse, or your chaplain/spiritual guide. Reach out to them when you need a break and/or feel overwhelmed.
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Educate yourself so you know the best techniques for dealing with symptoms such as acting out/disorientation/paranoia/wandering. Consider taking a class in first aid/CPR so you're equipped to handle an emergency. Increased knowledge improves caregiver confidence and can reduce strain.
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Set aside time for yourself. This could be a simple activity like taking a relaxing bath, enjoying a book for an hour or so, or going out with friends.
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Organize your routine as much as possible. Write it down in a daily reminder calendar or logbook. Prioritize by task importance. Have a list of key phone numbers, health records, and medical contacts handy for ready access if needed.
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Use a log and medicine management tools (such as daily pill boxes) to help keep the care receiver's medicine in order so that you provide it at the right time and the right dosage.
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Take care of your own health! Get plenty of sleep; exercise regularly; keep doing things you enjoy; find ways to laugh (funny movies or funny friends); focus on your spiritual strength.
Being a caregiver is a challenging role, so don't ever feel guilty about needing support or a little break. We're very knowledgeable about elderly caregiving, so what questions can we answer for you?
