How to Decrease Caregiver Stress
Since November is National Family Caregivers Month, I want to focus on the many wonderful caregivers in the world and provide extra support for them, too.
Let’s start with how to help decrease caregivers’ stress!
If you are a family caregiver, please answer these quick questions. (Don’t worry you don’t have to tell me the answers — it’s just for you, so be honest!)
As a caregiver for your aging parents, spouse or relatives, do you regularly:
- Feel like you have to do it all yourself, and that you should be doing more?
- Withdraw from family, friends and activities that you used to enjoy?
- Feel anxious about money and health care decisions?
- Have health problems that are taking a toll on you mentally and physically?
- Feel grief or sadness that your relationship with your Golden Oldie isn’t what it used to be?
If you have answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, there are a huge number of resources at your computer fingertips through the Alzheimer’s Association. The Association has just launched a new resource to help identify and relieve the physical and emotional stress caregivers experience, and it’s called Caregiver Stress Check.
Caregiver Stress Check is a first-of-its-kind, interactive quiz caregivers take to identify their own personal symptoms of stress and then it provides a tailored list of helpful referrals and resources. The quiz can be accessed here.
“But my aging parent doesn’t have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.”
Take this quiz anyway!
I have reviewed all of the 20 detailed resources provided, and yes, some of them are directed towards caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients, but more than half of these resources can be helpful for everyone who is a caregiver for their aging parents or spouse, no matter what disease the care recipient may have. Even if your Golden Oldies are physically healthy, aging gracefully and you are providing “just a little help,” the pressure can sneak up on you.
The Stress Check uncovers symptoms that all caregivers experience: overwhelm, withdrawal, worry, denial, frustration, anxiety, anger, sadness and grief.
The resource lists are detailed and available in many formats, such as both online and printable care guides, calendars, brochures, reports, plus message boards and DVD’s.
If you are a family caregiver, chances are you feel different degress of stress from time to time — if not all the time. Please utilize this excellent resource when you are feeling physically and/or emotionally worn out. I’m there with you — I experience caregiver stress and have started to dig into these resources.
Please forward this information to other caregivers you know. It can be your gift to a caregiver for National Family Caregivers Month, and it will definitely be a gift that keeps on giving!
If you are a caregiver, please leave your feedback about the Stress Check in the comments below.
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Photo Credit: gotplaid?’s photostream
Outside Resource:
Alzheimer’s Association — November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
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9 Responses to “How to Decrease Caregiver Stress”
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Hi Linda. I don’t fall into this category. But, I salute you for supporting those who are. I hope there are a lot of people reading your blog to reap the benefits.
Hi Davina,
Thank you for reading this post and leaving a comment even if the info is not applicable in your situation. I hope many people are reading and learning here, too!
Thanks for the post. It will surely help your readers that have problem relating your article. For me it is really our responsible to take care of our family, mostly our parents. Because they are the reason for what we are now.
Thanks
I, too, am not in this situation – but find your words make me think about what may be in a few short years. I’m especially thinking about the feeling of sadness as relationships change. Is that a feeling of what is to come? Of knowing that days/years might be limited? Probably. It’s something I try not to think about, yet – I also realize that day will come…
Hi Lance,
I don’t mean to make you sad with my words — but I am glad I can start an awareness of what may be ahead so you and your family can be better prepared. Yes, all of us age, but it’s better than the alternative!
Hi Diana,
Welcome to the TLeC community! Sorry I didn’t reply sooner to your comment, but it got caught up in my spam filter temporarily.
“For me it is really our responsible to take care of our family, mostly our parents. Because they are the reason for what we are now.” Your words are so beautiful and true! Your family is very lucky.
CPTSD can also occur in caregivers of severely disabled or autistic persons who exhibit intracable, prolonged, extreme self-injurious or assaultive behaviors. Witnessing repeated acts of such complex, high risk behaviors, where the person must constantly protect the other person is classic CPTSD, in a situation that is episodic, chronic and acute. It is one of the most undereported conditions facing families raising disabled children with extreme, challenging behaviors which require constant emergency interventions. The constant state of emergency and pressure of providing safety is what leads to CPTSD in primary caregivers. It is also seen in caregivers of dementia patients, who are without relief or respite care. Incessant or disruptive vocalizations often exacerbate the stress loads on caregivers of aging parents with dementia, further contributing to CPTSD, as auditory overload, insult factors.
Welcome to TLeC! Thank you for giving us another perspective about Caregiver Post Traumatic Stress Disease (which is what I presume CPTSD is an acronym for). All caregivers need support, relief and respite, no matter whom they care for. I’ve never thought of caregiver stress as a post traumatic stress disease, because it comes on more slowly and not as the result of one traumatic incident, but you raise an interesting and important point. Thank you for sharing!