Long-term stress of any kind, including caregiver stress, can lead to serious health problems. At FirstLight Home Care – South Sound we understand how stress impacts families. When a family member is ill, aging, disabled, or unable to complete daily tasks on their own, a family member may find themselves becoming the caregiver for their loved one. Caregiving is a 24/7 job and the stress from the demands can take its toll on the family member leading the care.
We’ve seen it often and we offer a variety of resources to help support caregivers and their families with tools, tips and recommendations on how to reduce the level of caregiver stress.
April is National Stress Awareness Month
In honor of National Stress Awareness Month, here are some issues related to caregiver stress that you might find helpful:
Caregiver Burnout
For many, taking on the role of family caregiver is unfamiliar territory. While caring for a loved one is a worthwhile responsibility, it also can cause a significant amount of stress, exhaustion and sometimes even health issues. Because caregiving is emotionally and physically draining, it can lead to burnout and possible health issues for you – the family caregiver. Learn more about the possible caregiver burnout warning signs and how to keep it all in check.
Challenges Facing Family Caregivers
Caregiving is worthwhile and rewarding, but there are many challenges facing family caregivers. It becomes even more challenging if the caregiver has his or her own obligations, such as a job and children to care for, or if they must travel long distances to care for their elderly relative. Learn more about the most common challenges a family caregiver can encounter.
Respite Care Makes A Difference
Caregiving is often a full-time job that can impact your health and well-being, job performance and overall life balance. It can lead to caregiver stress, anger or resentment, and it sometimes can feel like the relationship you have with a family member is now an obligation. If you’re finding it difficult to care for someone by yourself, don’t let it get this far. Learn more about how respite care can help with caregiver stress.
Over a third of the adult U.S. population is a caregiver for an ill, aging, or disabled relative. The majority are female, and many are employed either part or full-time*. The demands of caregiving and the stress that can accompany these demands can impact your health. There are many great articles related to stress. There is also FirstLight Home Care. Our FirstLight caregivers can help family caregivers reduce the stress associated with caring for a loved one by providing:
- Household help, such as light housekeeping and laundry
- Companionship both during the day and overnight to give the caregiver time to themselves
- Assistance with daily activities, such as bathing, hygiene and meal preparation
- Medication reminders to continue the treatment regimens that are critical to managing physical symptoms of the disease
- Transportation to and from doctor’s appointment, social engagements, and other activities
- Respite care to provide relief to family caregivers who are essential to the ongoing support of those living with the disease
Contact us today to learn more about our respite care, personal care, and companion care services in Olympia, and to see how our caregivers can help.
*Source: American Psychological Association