Avoiding Caregiver Burnout

If you are a caregiver to a family member and feeling emotionally burned out, you are not alone. According to the Minnesota Board on Aging, an estimated 679,000 Minnesotans are caring for an older or disabled adult. Caregiver burnout is defined by WebMD as a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that may be accompanied by a change in attitude, from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned.

A family caregiver who is feeling stress, anxiety, fatigue, and depression can be experiencing caregiver burnout and needs to be realistic of their own personal situation. Although similar to the symptoms of stress and depression, symptoms of caregiver burnout can also include:

• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Feeling of irritability, hopelessness and helplessness
• Change in sleeping patterns
• Change in appetite or weight
• Emotional and physical exhaustion
• Withdrawal from friends and family

It is just as important to take care of yourself as it is to care for your aging loved one to ensure you are being an effective caregiver. Follow these tips to help prevent burnout and keep your sanity and your own health in check:

• Build a support team of people you trust and can count on to help you in a variety of ways.
• Take advantage of professional home based and community services available that will help you take care of a diverse set of daily needs.
• Educate yourself. You will provide more effective care if you know more about the illness the loved one you care for suffers from.
• Develop coping mechanisms to help you deal with everyday stresses. Using humor and highlighting the positives will go a long way. Laughter truly is the best medicine – it lightens the mood and releases endorphins which will bring positive changes to your mindset.
• Stay healthy by eating right, getting plenty of sleep, and exercising regularly.

TRU Healthcare understands how overwhelming it is to care for loved ones at home. We offer a variety of home healthcare services in the Duluth and Minneapolis, Minnesota communities to help support your senior loved one to live a more fulfilling life at home. From skilled nursing services to assist seniors with recovering from illness or injury to our homemaking or companion care programs to our comprehensive Alzheimer’s Whisperer program which provides care and treatment needed by those affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia, we have many options to help you care for your loved one.

With access to HealthStar Home Health’s Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS), you and your loved one will learn a variety of skills to help manage independent living and social situations. These skills, along with the services and program options, is a way to prevent caregiver burnout. Take advantage of what we offer to lift some pressure of your shoulders as caregiver. This will allow you the opportunity to take some much needed time for yourself and promote your own healthy habits.

Caring for a family member can be exhausting and overwhelming, there can also be a feeling of loneliness and isolation which will affect your own health and well-being. But, being a family caregiver can also be the most rewarding thing you will do. Learn to let it go by accepting the help of others so you can focus on what is most important and be healthy.

Learn more about the services and programs TRU Healthcare offers by calling 888-689-3391 or visit our website today: