There are more than 43 million family caregivers in the U.S. Around 34.2 million of those care for an aging adult in need of assistance with activities of daily living. While 82 percent of those caregivers care for one person, another 18 percent care for two or more adults.
Around 3 out of 4 family caregivers are female. They spend about half of the month helping with meals, housekeeping, transportation, and medication reminders. Appointment scheduling, financial management, personal care, grooming, dressing, and ambulation take up a total of around a week.
When you’re a family caregiver, it’s hard work. It can be rewarding, but it’s mentally and physically exhausting. Knowing when to take a break is important, but many caregivers struggle with the best ways to ask for help.
What Are the Signs of Caregiver Burnout?
Do you know the signs that you’re burned out and need to take a break? Irritability is a big one. If you find yourself having a short temper with your mom or dad, it’s something to watch. You may find yourself feeling tired, sad, angry, or depressed.
Caregivers who are burned out often overreact to minor situations. They often have a hard time concentrating on a task. They may deal with insomnia. Putting off medical care is common and it can lead to deteriorating mental and physical health.
Sit Down With Your Family
Gather your siblings and sit down for a family meeting. If you’re burned out, you need to tell them. They may or may not listen to you. If they don’t listen or ignore your concerns, you may need to talk to your parent’s doctor to get a referral to a social worker who specializes in elder care.
That social worker can mediate family discussions. A social worker can also advise you on how to get your parent set up with home care services that give you a break. Those care services can be temporary or permanent.
Ideally, you need someone to step in and care for your mom or dad for an hour or two every day to ensure you get time to yourself. Use that time to nap, attend appointments or social functions, or relax in a bath. Make sure you are taking time to practice self-care.
Schedule Respite Care
When you’re a family caregiver, you need to schedule respite care from a home care agency. Depending on how stressed you’ve become, you may need to take a break. Call a home care agency and arrange to have caregivers take over. Your family can help out when they can, but caregivers can fill in the gaps. Call now.
Sources:
https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-statistics-demographics
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care services in River Oaks, TX, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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