Preserving Your Self While Caregiving

Why reinvent the wheel when a perfectly fine one already exists?

I want to start this discussion by sending you to Jane Brody's two articles in the New York Times Science section these past two weeks: When Families Take Care of Their Own and Caring for Family, Caring for Yourself.

In the first article, she notes the increasing likelihood that we'll all become caregivers at some point in our career as "the population ages and modern medicine improves its ability to prolong lives." I think here, as well, about those soldiers returning from Iraq with terrible injuries whose families now need to care for them. And also about the rising number of autistic children, whose parents have extended responsibilities in raising them.

The recommendations Brody makes to protect against caregiver burnout are sound and sane:

1. try to carve out some personal time to do things you enjoy at least part of every day

2. get away occasionally

3. exercise

4. eat and sleep well

5. take care of your own health

6. consider joining a support group

7. learn how to work well with medical staff

8. find out what services your community offers

9. reach out to family and friends for help and support, both tangible and emotional

10.recognize when you or your loved one needs more help; don't ignore the signs of burnout or deteriorating health.

There are a lot of good ideas in these two articles and the New York Times blog on aging.

In the next post I'm going to add a few ideas of my own.

Comments

[Bob Tell]

Caregiver burnout is a major issue for those with this awesome responsibility. Don't overlook the role of humor to make things more bearable. Things that made me angry and frustrated when my mother (who had dementia) was alive, in retrospect are filled with funny happenings. This is true too for the many caregivers who read my blog and contact me about my book which emphasizes humor as a healing balm. Caregivers need all the emotional support they can get.

Bob Tell, Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://www.dementia-diary.com
http://caregiverchronicle.blogspot.com/