3 Ways to Avoid Caregiver Burnout, or how to make your comeback from experiencing it currently.

3 Ways to Avoid Caregiver Burnout, or how to make your comeback from experiencing it currently.

1. Ask for and be open to receiving support.

This is something that may feel familiar to you in other areas of your life, since this experience is unlike any other you have likely experienced, it is common to feel fear or uncertainty around the journey. Asking for support is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and ultimately for your loved one. If you have never navigated this space before, how would you know how to navigate it? It’s okay and very common that you may be experiencing overwhelm and fear. There are many families that have experienced something similar to what you are going through and many who are eager to support you with their specialties and unique services provided. The key is to being open to receiving the support you are in need of and knowing not everyone or everything will be a perfect fit or the right service/product at that exact time. Like most things in life, this will be a bit of a trial to see what makes the most sense for you and your family.

2. Create CARE team

It is important to know that you are not meant to walk this journey, alone. Taking care of a loved one requires so much energy, responsibility, and over time will begin to take a physical and emotional toll on you as a Caregiver. Your care team could consist of as little as a Care Manager to be the liaison between doctors, healthcare jargon, and you/your family ensuring accurate information and plans of care are being implemented and communicated. This resource alone has saved so many families the worry and uncertainty of what is going on when they are not able to attend a physician’s appointment or see the day-to-day.

It could also be as robust as an Elder Law Attorney, Financial Advisor, Care Manager, Community Placement Specialist if searching for housing outside of the home becomes an option you want to explore. Medicare Specialists help you understand how the Medicare system works, and how to maximize your benefits. Dementia Family Coaches and Death Doulas are additional resources that are so helpful in this stage of life, and often an unknown service. Sitting down as a family and having conversations around what is most desirable and requested of yourself and your loved ones is much less difficult and uncomfortable beforehand than during or after a crisis.

3. Practice Self Care Daily

Easier said than done, however adding these practices into habits you already have and do daily, is the best way to create moments of peace in your day-to-day experience.

There is no right or wrong way to practice self-care, and it could change often. This is all part of the evolution of caring for yourself, like that of taking care of your loved ones. When you approach self-care with the mindset that you cannot do it “wrong” and it is all just practice, you have a better chance of sticking with it and allowing for grace when you do not do it as well as you had hoped. Meditation, gratitude, movement, and support groups are all great tools to have in your self-care toolbox.