LIFE STAGES

Caring for the Caregiver

By Karen L.I.C.S.W. Miller 
 | 
March 17, 2014

Caring for the Caregiver

Caregivers come in all shapes and sizes. They can be adult children, spouses, siblings, friends, or neighbors, who help with daily activities, such as bathing, feeding, and clothing. The caregiver may be the only person who can take a loved one to doctors' appointments. The long-distance caregiver may call weekly, help with expenses, or support the main caregiver.

According to the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), more than 65 million people provide a level of care to a loved one with a chronic disease each year. More than one relative helps out in some families, but most caregivers go it alone. Caregiving can be demanding and time-consuming; it may even increase the risk of acquiring stress-related disorders.

How to succeed

These tips are drawn from professional, government, and charitable groups: the American Society on Aging, the Federal Administration on Aging, The Family Caregiver Alliance, Children of Aging Parents, and the NFCA.

Don't go it alone

  • Ask others for help. Start with family and friends. Keep less engaged family members informed. Set up a family conference, seek suggestions, and talk about disagreements.

  • Ask families with similar problems how they handled them.

  • Involve the person you're caring for. If possible, help the person take responsibility and join in decisions.

  • Learn about your loved one's condition. Find specialists for information and guidance.

  • Tap local, state, and national resources. They can offer help with transportation, nutrition, or day care.

Watch for problems

Mental and physical signs of caregiver stress:

  • Anger or fear

  • A tendency to overreact

  • Feeling depressed, isolated, or overburdened

  • Thoughts of guilt, shame, or inadequacy

  • Taking on more than you can handle

  • Headaches

  • Digestive upsets

  • Weight loss or gain

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Fatigue

  • Illness

Take time out

Be good to yourself. Take time away from caregiving and don't neglect your personal and professional needs:

  • Get lots of rest and exercise.

  • Enjoy relaxing music.

  • Eat nutritious meals.

  • Visit with friends, plan leisure activities.

  • Do deep breathing.

  • Read a magazine.

  • Don't abuse alcohol or drugs, or overeat.

  • Keep a sense of humor.

  • Write your feelings in a journal.

  • Do spiritual meditation.

  • Set limits on what you can and cannot do.

  • Realize you're doing the best you can.

  • Join a support group.

  • Use community resources for help.

Get help

It's OK not to have all the answers. Seek help when you need it most:

  • Call a support hotline. Just having someone listen may help.

  • Speak with a counselor. A professional can help you understand your situation.

  • Talk with your religious adviser.

  • Attend a support group. Groups can explain your loved one's condition, ease tension, and provide a sense of what's important.

  • Look into online support groups and chat rooms. Many of the agencies listed below have internet support groups.

General assistance

  • AARP: advocacy group with publications on aging, including recent legislation.

  • Administration on Aging: access to statistics, fact sheets, and booklets.

  • Eldercare Locator: a service of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging with local services, including home-delivered meals, transportation, legal assistance, housing options, recreation and social activities, adult day care, senior center programs, and abuse prevention.

  • Family Caregiver Alliance: covers medical, social, public policy and caregiving issues linked to brain impairments.

  • National Council on the Aging: information and advocacy.

  • National Family Caregivers Association: dedicated to aiding caregivers through education, research, and support.

  • National Institute on Aging: conducts and supports research, training, and information on aging.

  • Older Women's League: focuses on issues unique to women as they age and offers fact sheets on caregiving.

  • Well Spouse Association: offers support to people caring for a sick spouse who need emotional care themselves.

Specific ailments

Updated:  

March 17, 2014

Reviewed By:  

Fincannon, Joy, RN, MN, Kolbus, Karin, RN, DNP, COHN-S