Evercare on Caregiver Burnout
In any given year, more than 44 million Americans will provide care for an adult family member or friend, according to the National Family Caregivers AssociationA. These caregivers may be women or men, children or grandchildren, parents or grandparents – their common bond is that they have accepted responsibility for the well–being of a loved one.
But who cares for the caregivers?
If you are or become one of those 44 million, it's easy to become so focused on the vulnerable family member or friend that you lose track of the fact that you, too, have needs. It's called caregiver fatigue, or burnout – and it can affect both your quality of life and your ability to provide effective care for your loved one.
Recognize the Signs of Burnout:
- Irritability. You snap at people for small things; you lose patience easily.
- Withdrawal. You don't stay in touch with friends or pursue activities that you enjoyed in the past.
- Fatigue. You are constantly tired and exhausted.
- Insomnia. You have a hard time getting to sleep or staying asleep, or you sleep restlessly.
- Apathy. You feel numb and must force yourself to do routine caregiver tasks.
- Appetite Changes. You eat more than you used to, or don't feel like eating anything.
- Increased Substance Use. The only relief you can get is from alcohol, drugs, or smoking.
- Feelings of Guilt. You think you are not doing enough, or you feel resentment over the amount of work you are doing.
- Anxiety. You constantly wonder if you are making the best and right decisions for your loved one. You may also be under a lot of stress in dealing with other family member's conflicting ideas of the best care for your loved one.
To care for someone else, you must take care of yourself, too. You may be less vulnerable than the person you are caring for, but you're no less important. It's important to be aware of your limits, and there's nothing wrong with taking time to re–energize yourself.
How are you?
It's easy to lose sight of your own well–being while tending to the needs of others. The Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire developed by the American Medical Association puts you back in touch with how you're doing. It only takes a couple minutes and once it's complete, you'll have a self–evaluation that you can share with your doctor.
A NAC/AARP "Caregiving in the U.S." (1997 and 2004)
