Keep Sane While Caregiving

Caregiving is now an epidemic in Western Culture. The number of family care providers is increasing at alarming rates once we see an increase in illness and shorter hospital stays due to insurance reimbursement schedules. If the amount of caregiving is short-term or long term doesn't matter it can be an overwhelming experience so keep your preferences in the equation to prevent burnout and reduce the potential for you becoming ill.

The Social You

We're social animals. We do best when we interact with others and feel connected to something bigger than ourselves. Isolation is probably the key causes of depression and when providing care for somebody who is sick or injured the isolation is not by your choice but by circumstance. It is important that you develop a plan for keeping connected to friends and family. Similar to the hospital has visiting times for the patient, you may set up visiting times for you the caregiver. The visit could be in person or phone. Either way the main thing is that people are connecting with you, not the person you're providing the care. It's about keeping your own social connections and going for a break from getting the entire conversation be about the loved one who's sick.

The Multi-Dimensional You

You are a lot more than only a caregiver. Consider all of the roles you hold along with providing look after someone sick or injured. It's okay to set parameters when communicating with others. It's you substitute for divert conversation away from you as caregiver, and redirect them to something that is focuses on a number of of one's other roles. Culturally we are trained to spotlight the sick or injured. The caregiver is often a secondary consideration so keeping all of the elements of you functioning well could keep you grounded. In the event that you play cards on a weekly basis and the person you're caring for can not be left alone; schedule a person who wants to go to the patient to visit at that time freeing you to attend to your other needs, like your life. Pun intended, the martyr role. It's unattractive, receives little sympathy and increases your isolation. This is the time whenever your creative problem solving skills should rise the top in order to address all of the roles you play in your life, keeping them alive and well.

The Compassionate You

When providing care we think about the marriage vows that stipulate, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. The problem is that at the time we take those vows we've some degree of invincibility. When the day comes that caregiving is required, reflecting on the memories you've acquired helps ease the pain of caregiving. Caregiving is a selfless act. It needs to some extent that you stop what you're doing, put your life on hold, and look after someone who can no longer fully manage their own lives. After the shock of the diagnosis, the caregiver provides support in what's often a thankless environment. The gratitude is unspoken, but the care recipient who is fragile knows within their head and their heart that recuperation or sustainability couldn't happen without you, the caregiver. Know in your heart your efforts are appreciated and that some day in a few fashion you will be offered the thanks you deserve.

Caregiving is a difficult role. It is often under appreciated and all consuming. Keep yourself connected to friends and family. Feel free to divert conversations away from illness. Invite visitors who will spending some time with you in order that you're social needs are met. Understand that even though the words "many thanks" aren't uttered often enough, the care recipient thinks it often as do friends, family and the ones in the community.

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