Caregiver stress: Tips for taking care of yourself
Source: Mayo Clinic
Caring for a loved one strains even the most resilient people. If you’re a caregiver, take steps to preserve your own health and well-being. The demands of caregiving can cause emotional and physical stress. Caregiver stress can put caregivers at risk of changes in their own health. Factors that can increase caregiver stress include:
- Caring for a spouse.
- Living with the person who needs care.
- Spending many hours caregiving.
- Feeling alone, helpless or depressed.
- Having money problems.
- Having little or no guidance from health care professionals.
- Having no choice about being a caregiver.
- Not having good coping or problem-solving skills.
- Feeling the need to give care at all times.
Signs of caregiver stress
Caregivers may be so focused on their loved one that they don’t see how caregiving affects their own health and well-being.
The signs of caregiver stress include:
- Feeling burdened or worrying all the time.
- Feeling tired often.
- Sleeping too much or not enough.
- Gaining or losing weight.
- Becoming easily frustrated or angry.
- Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy.
- Having frequent headaches, body pains or health problems.
- Misusing alcohol or drugs, including prescription medicines.
- Missing your own medical appointments.
Tips to manage caregiver stress
The emotional and physical demands of caregiving can strain even the strongest person. Many resources and tools can help caregivers care for both a loved one and themselves. To help manage caregiver stress:
- Ask for and accept help.
- Focus on what you can do.
- Set goals you can reach.
- Contact Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Caregiver Support Program at 215-765-9040.
- Join a caregiver support group.
- Seek social support from family and friends.
- Take care of your health.
- See your health care professional regularly.
- Use respite care.
