Being the primary caregiver for a senior loved one is an enormous responsibility. If you are facing this important task alone, you are probably doing everything in your power to keep your aging loved one happy and healthy. Because you’re so busy taking care of someone else, you might be sacrificing your own needs.
Taking on too much as a caregiver is common, and is something that we often see at Jefferson County Home Care Assistance. While you may not want to leave your aging parent or loved one’s side, it’s important to remember that you will only be able to provide the highest level of quality care should your own health be in tact. To ensure that your stress does not lead to burnout, assess your risk by considering the following questions.
Are You Suffering Frequent Illnesses?
Stress is a dangerous thing, and being under too much stress can cause a person to suffer frequent illnesses. Are you getting more colds than you used to get? Stressed people also tend to recover from a sickness slower than others do. If you are constantly ill, you may be at risk for caregiver burnout.
Do You Have Problems Sleeping?
Sleeping problems are another red flag for caregiver burnout. Perhaps, you used to sleep through the night without waking up. Now, you may wake up in a worried state several times during the night. Or, you might lie awake in your bed for a couple of hours before going to sleep. If your sleep has been disturbed lately, you might need a break from caregiving.
Do You Often Skip Meals?
Are you starting to skip meals more often? Perhaps, you no longer enjoy the taste of your favorite dishes anymore. Or, due to your caregiving duties, you might not feel like you have enough time to eat. If you’ve noticed a drastic change in your eating habits lately, you could be suffering from caregiver burnout.
Do You Need Help?
If you’ve answered in the affirmative to any of the aforementioned questions, you may need to seek help for caregiver burnout. One great option to help relieve some of the stress of caregiving is in-home care. Whether you get help from an hourly caregiver in Jefferson County, or take an evening or weekend off thanks to live-in care services, time away from your caregiving responsibilities can allow you to be rested, healthy and alert for your loved one.
To learn more about caregiver stress, respite options and in-home care services, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Home Care Assistance of Jefferson County. Our experienced and friendly Care Managers are available 24/7 and our caregivers are always on-call. You don’t have to go through this journey alone, we are here to help.