Caregivers experience a range of emotions as they assume their new roles. Initially, they feel the joy of a family member’s discharge from the hospital, perhaps following a questionable recovery. However, fear of the unknown may also be present. Doubts about their capabilities, concerns about the welfare of their family member’s health, and feeling overwhelmed by the volume of work to do. Fatigue plays a major role in how many caregivers feel, leading to caregiver burnout after months of ongoing care with little to no rest. Learn how to care for yourself to avoid that from happening to you.
Battling Emotions The unpredictable nature of managing someone else’s world and medical condition often feels beyond the caregiver’s control. However, controlling the situation remains their responsibility. Battling emotions like fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration can overwhelm a caregiver given the chance. These emotions threaten to rise to the surface as the caregiver struggles to fight […]
Little Time to Deal with Caregiver Emotions Since caregivers often acquire their role suddenly, they have little time to prepare for new responsibilities mentally, financially, or emotionally. Often, they must deal with caregiver emotions by stuffing them inside to think about later as they move on to the next decision to make. Meanwhile, they
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Caregivers suffer from two syndromes that indicate they need some personal attention. One is called “Compassion Fatigue” and the other “Caregiver Burnout.” Running at Full Throttle I like word pictures, so here’s one for you. Think of a boat. You have a caregiver running full throttle hitting waves head-on, staying the course for hours on
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By Donna Steigleder I’m going to be brutally honest with you as I tell my story. I went from a nice person everyone liked to someone I didn’t even like due to burnout. Pay Attention, so it doesn’t happen to YOU. I Love My Husband, but I’m Tired I love my husband, but caregiving wears me
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Recognize the signs of caregiver burnout, and when you do, ask for help from those around you. The support you need is a chance to get away from caregiving as the “Lone Ranger” for a while. Therefore, try to get away for a day or two or at least to share your caregiver
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For Caregivers, Life is Unpredictable As a caregiver adapts to caregiving, a change occurs in how they look at their world. The caregiver thinks in terms of “right now” rather than “tomorrow.” No longer do they trust that plans made today will be relevant tomorrow or even possible. Too often, over the years, medical
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How Caregivers Acquire Their Role Affects Their Acceptance Caregivers acquire their role in a variety of ways. For some, it happens quickly, and for others, the process occurs gradually over time. Each event brings certain traits that impact how a caregiver processes the new duties they acquire. With
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Factors Influencing Emotional Acceptance What are the many factors that influence the emotional acceptance of a caregiver to their new role? Among those influences is whatever caused them to become a caregiver in the first place. Emotions have a powerful influence on how an individual perceives their environment and their circumstances. They shape a
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Mental and Physical Effects of Caregiving Research by organizations such as the Centers for Medical Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), and the American Association of Retired People (AARP) shows the significant and long-term impact of caregiving. Based on their research, caregivers who provide continuous care for long periods
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Caregiver Emotions are Challenging Have you seen sandcastles swept out to sea? Houses built on sand have no anchor in the ground to help them stand against waves. They can crumble without that foundation. Adapting to caregiving may feel the same way without possessing the background or skills needed to know what to
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