As family members grow older, relatives are often faced with the choice of sending their loved ones to a managed care facility or try to care for them at home. There are many benefits to allowing older adults to receive care at home. The environment is more natural to the senior, and there's less disruption to their everyday life. At Like Family Home Care, we specialize in supporting older adults who remain at home by providing a wide variety of services. Our services can help family caregivers who are often at risk of experiencing burnout. Here are four tips you can use to help prevent caregiver burnout.
Make Time for Relationships
One of the most common causes of caregiver burnout is isolation. Many caregivers devote all of their time to helping their older relatives. However, without taking the time for social interactions, it can adversely affect the mental health of the caregiver. It’s vital to take the time to enjoy social interactions with friends. Go see a movie or grab a few close friends for a coffee or lunch. By spending time with friends that positively affect your mood, it’s possible to head off the social isolation that can lead to caregiver burnout.
Maintain Your Own Health
When worrying about the health of older relatives, it’s not uncommon for caregivers to neglect their own health. Caregivers let their own medical appointments slip because they’re busy overseeing someone else’s medical treatments. However, allowing your health to slip can make things harder for everyone else in the future. Your family member needs you to stay as healthy as possible. This requires you to go to regular checkups, get cancer screenings, as well as mental health updates. If you don’t think you have enough time for these personal health concerns, get help from services such as Like Home Family Care. Our team of experts can ensure your older relatives receive proper are while you take care of your own health.
Give Yourself a Break
Carrying for an older relative can be a full-time job. And like any full-time position, it's essential to take breaks. If you have friends and family members who are nearby, you can ask them to fill in for you for a few hours. You can use the break to take a walk, watch a movie, or go out to dinner. If you don't have that option, you can use services such as Like Family Home Care to handle some of the daily responsibilities so caregivers can have a little more time for their own needs. Period breaks are essential for protecting the mental health of at-home family caregivers.
Know the Signs of Caregiver Burnout
One of the keys to preventing caregiver burnout is learning how to identify the symptoms. Burnout is something that develops over time. By learning to recognize early symptoms before they grow into more significant problems, caregivers can make sure they get the help and the breaks they need. The AARP identified several signs of caregiver burnout. These include anger or frustration toward the person you're caring for; increased anxiety, depression, an exhaustion that makes it tough to complete your daily tasks, increased health problems, irritability and moodiness, sleeplessness, and social withdrawal from friends and activities that the caregiver used to enjoy. If you start seeing these symptoms in caregivers, relatives can offer to help with some responsibilities. You can also have a service such as Like Family Home Care take over on some days, so the caregiver has more time to relax.
If you’re looking for at-home care for older relatives in Arizona, Like Family Home Care can help. Send us a message online to discuss the services you need for older relatives receiving at-home care.
