The Signs Of Caregiver Burnout & How To Avoid This In Houston
In North America, there are over 40 million adults who are taking care of a loved one who is disabled, elderly or chronically ill. Some do this out of love, others out of obligation and some out of a sense of doing the right thing.
Regardless of the reason, 70% of family caretakers will take care of a person over the age of 65 while 22% are helping 2 people. A further 7% are caring for three or more people. The experience of caring for a loved one is described as stressful by 32% of caregivers.
If this sounds familiar, you are already on the road to caregiver burnout. This is not an issue to take lightly as psychologists define it as a debilitating condition brought about by prolonged stress. The problem is that when most caregivers suspect this, they are already suffering from many of the symptoms.
Caregivers not only have to cope with the illness of a loved one, but they may also need to deal with financial pressure, general disruptions to family life and a change in family dynamics. This all adds up to caregiver burnout that negatively impacts their ability to provide care and could put their health at risk. If you know about caregiver burnout, you need to protect yourself from this.
The Warning Signs Of Caregiver Burnout
The first sign is a lack of energy followed by overwhelming fatigue. You may have problems with sleep where you sleep too little or too much. Eating habit changes and weight loss or gain are also signs.
Feelings of hopelessness, neglecting your own emotional and physical needs while feeling anxiety about the future are other signs. You may lose interest in activities you use thttps://texas.assistinghands.com/benefits-of-walking-for-houston-seniors/o like and feel that caregiving it controlling your life. You might become irritable, impatient and argumentative with the person you care for and other people.
Depression and mood swings are common and difficult to cope with daily things. You may also have a lowered resistance to illness and suffer from headaches, stomach aches, and other physical issues.
Preventing Caregiver Burnout
Now that you know a bit more about what to look out for, you need to consider how to prevent burnout from occurring. The most important step is to ask for help. Needing help does not mean you are bad at caring. Everyone needs some help sometimes.
You need to allow yourself to take some breaks. Get out of the house for a while and visit friends. Take a long bath or have a massage to pamper yourself.
Taking care of yourself is important. You should not miss your doctor’s appointments because you are too busy caring for others. It is also important that you get enough sleep, exercise and have a healthy diet.
Try getting up 15 minutes early and using this extra time for yourself. You could sit with your morning tea or coffee and simply enjoy it. You could use the time to keep a journal, meditate or stretch.
To handle everything you need to, you should try making a list of all your tasks. You can then try delegating some of them. Ask someone else to make dinner twice a week or ask a friend to help run errands for you.
Take the time to look at family-leave benefits at work. This can take a big weight off as you are given more hours in the day.
If your loved one has hospice care, you should ask them about local support groups. Talking to other people in a similar position can help you a lot more than you imagine. Many hospice programs also have short-term inpatient admission which is designed to help you avoid burnout.
Call us or contact Assisting Hands Houston today with any questions you might have! Visit our blog for more exciting articles about senior care in Houston.
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