Caring for the Caregiver

If you don’t take care for yourself, you will have nothing left to give! I know what you are thinking…it’s easy for you to say. I’m so focused on my loved one that I have trouble carving time out to take care of my own needs and family obligations. You are not alone, so STOP…take a breath, and don’t feel guilty for taking time out for yourself. The following steps can help you minimize some of the stress you’re feeling so you will be less overwhelmed by the caregiver role:

Accept your own limitations and those of others.

• Don’t sweat the small stuff.
• Learn to laugh, watch situation television shows, read books and share stories.
• Avoid junk food, keep a balanced diet and exercise every day.
• Save time and money; shop on-line or via catalogs.
• Educate yourself on your loved one’s medications (keep a list of dosage, time of intake and doctors’ numbers by the phone and in your wallet).
• Learn to relax. Use relaxation techniques, meditate, listen to music and visualize a calm setting.
• Get a hobby or re-establish an old one.
• Join a support group.
• Educate yourself on your loved one’s affliction so that you’ll know what to expect
• If help is offered by friends, neighbors and others don’t be afraid to accept it. If it will lighten your load, do it.
• If you’re not getting many offers of support, you may want to ask family members if they might be able to offer some.
• There may be help offered in your community, so doing some research in that area may yield some useful results (Church, Synagogue, park district, senior centers).
• If you are religious or have spiritual leanings, now is a good time to rely on them, and gain strength from your faith as well as your spiritual community.
• Hire a reputable home care agency like Home & Hearth Caregivers that can step in for a couple of hours a day/week to assist you in your loved one’s home.
• By taking an hour or two to go to a coffee shop, watch a movie, or immerse yourself in a good book are all easy options that can help you to ward off burnout.

The main idea here is to take good care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally so that you will be able to handle the challenges of caretaking and continue to provide care for your loved one.