Caregiving Stress and Burnout (And How to Get Relief!)

Senior Woman Comforting Man With Depression At Home

 

Providing care for a loved one in need is truly a rewarding pursuit. As the caregiver, you’re able to improve your loved one’s quality of life, make sure that he or she is provided the appropriate health care by an attentive health care team, and make tasks of daily living easier and more enjoyable. Your loved one might be able to participate in hobbies, socialize with friends, and genuinely enjoy their lives, all thanks to your caring, guiding attention.

But what about you? Caregiving can also be incredibly stressful and physically and emotionally taxing. However rewarding and fulfilling the pursuit might be, it can leave you feeling exhausted, anxious, or in a perpetual state of stress, especially if the health of your loved one continues to deteriorate or they become particularly challenging to work with. In fact, caregiver stress and caregiver burnout are very real and understood concerns that come with lending in-home support to a loved one, and health care providers are increasingly recognizing that the caregiver, as much as the care recipient, needs attention and support.

So how do you know if you’ve got caregiver stress? You might feel:

  • Constantly anxious, depressed, or irritable,
  • Tired or run-down,
  • Increasingly resentful of your loved one or the person that you care for,
  • Less interested in, or just less able to participate in your leisure activities,
  • Unable to sleep well, or sleep enough,
  • Or like YOU might be having new and recurring health concerns that weren’t present before.

Worse than caregiver stress is caregiver burnout: here, your body, mind, and emotions have been taxed to the brink, and literally can’t go on. You begin to shut down, which can look like:

  • Your energy is utterly sapped,
  • You’re perpetually susceptible to colds, flu, or just never feel well anymore,
  • You don’t sleep well and the sleep you do get just doesn’t satisfy; you never feel rested,
  • Your own needs are neglected, either due to a lack of time, or just total apathy,
  • Caregiving no longer gives you any joy or satisfaction,
  • You’re unable to relax, even when you do get assistance or some time to yourself,
  • You feel helpless or hopeless,
  • Or you’ve become increasingly irritable, resentful of, and angry with your loved one for whom you provide care.

Caregiver burnout is concerning: not only does it mean your mind and body have taken a significant toll, but it also means your loved one is now not truly benefitting from your assistance in the way that they could, because you’re not fully present, alert, energetic, or interested in being there for them. But don’t worry! There are solutions to help you resolve your caregiver stress or caregiver burnout.

First, it’s important to practice self-care. Take some time for yourself – a personal day or vacation if you’re able, and truly spend some time relaxing. Read a book, take a bubble bath, or take a long walk – you can even meditate: whatever might help you feel more relaxed and centered. When you’re ready, spend some time thinking back on caregiving, framed in a new light. Recognize and applaud yourself for the great work that you’re doing. Even if you’re loved one is unable to thank you, thank yourself. Reach out to other friends or family for the emotional boost that you need. There are also caregiver support groups that can help remind you of your value and importance and can talk with you about your struggles and challenges.

Finally, consider reaching out for some long-term assistance. Your efforts with your loved one have been invaluable and have truly changed their life for the better, but if caregiver burnout is a real problem for you then it might mean that the burden of care has gotten too great. At Ameribest Home Care, we understand how trying caregiving can be, and we’re here to help. Let us help you find a dedicated in-home health care, skilled nurse, or other caregivers that can lift some of the burden off of your shoulders so that you can have more time to focus on yourself and your own care needs. Ameribest Home Care understands – providing the best care and support possible means caring for and supporting caregivers! We’re here to help you and your loved one live your best lives.

Female Community Nurse Visits Senior Woman At Home

 

Provide Philadelphia Home Care to Your Loved One in the Comfort of Their Home

Ready to provide caring and capable Home Health to a loved one in the comfort of their very own home? Ameribest Home Care can help you!

Illness, injury, and hospital stays can leave many in need of assistance when completing activities of daily life. And while it’s most comfortable to receive that assistance at home and at the hands of someone you genuinely love and trust, no one wants to feel like they’ve become a burden to their children, relatives, or friends. That’s where AmeriBest Home Care comes in. We provide you with the appropriate training and skill set so that you can become a knowledgeable, capable, and caring personal caregiver to the friend or loved one who is in need. That means your mother, father, aunt or uncle, close friend or distant relative can receive quality and thoughtful care from you in the comfort of their very own home! Our home and community-based services (or Home Waiver Services) are available to those covered by MA (Medicaid/ medical assistance), and enable your loved one to remain in a community setting rather than being admitted to a nursing facility while they receive care from someone they love and trust the most: you!

Smiling elderly man in a wheelchair and friendly caregiver in a

 

Well-Paying Philadelphia Home Care That You Provide to Your Loved One… Tell Me More!

Once you’ve been thoroughly trained by the skilled and capable staff at Ameribest Home Care, you’ll be fully equipped and able to assist your close friend or loved one in all aspects of their regular daily living. The two of you can decide together what their plan of care will look like. Services can include:

  • Meal preparation
  • Light housekeeping – to meet individual health needs
  • Shopping
  • Laundry
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Medication management
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Securing transportation
  • Supervised walks
  • And so much more…

With care in the comfort of their own home that’s provided by someone they genuinely love and trust, your loved one’s health care plan will truly cater to their individual needs. So, how does your loved one qualify? Eligibility requirements are minimal; all they need to qualify is:

  • A medically-verified long-term condition or disability (where long-term means a condition that will last for longer than 6 months)
  • A monthly income of less than $2,163
  • No more than $8,000 of countable resources (including savings, checking, stocks, bonds, and other liquid assets or investments)

Further, if your loved one owns their own home, please mention this fact to our staff: it may affect their application for the waiver program.

So, are you ready for the person you love the most to receive professional, thoughtful, and well-qualified home care from an utterly caring caregiver that they know and trust? Call Ameribest Home Care, or fill out an inquiry form at our website www.ameribesthomecare.com, to find out how you and a loved one can partner together in pursuit of their healthy, guided living. It’s time for health care that’s truly comfortable, provided in the familiar space of home, and at the hands of a trusted loved one. At Ameribest Home Care, we’re answering the call for the comfortable home health care your loved one deserves.