Caregiver Burnout
Stretching yourself to care for someone else can only last so long before something snaps. If you find yourself yelling at someone you care for, in tears and feeling overwhelmed you may already be there.
- Anger, frustration and impatience with the care recipient
- Social withdrawal from friends and activities
- Tearfulness and easily emotional
- Feeling tired and rundown all the time
Symptoms of burnout get worse as time passes without help!
- When a Family Caregiver is under duress for too long it is not uncommon for them to get sick as a result and need care themselves!
- Anxiety can turn into ulcers
- Anger and stress turn into heart attacks and strokes
- Finding help that's helpful is a challenge of its own - see our Vancouver Island Resource Guide: Home Care Providers
- Ask for help early and know that asking for help isn’t failure. It’s hard to meet the needs of others when your own needs are chronically unmet.
- Family caregivers often have strong emotions at the idea of giving up control and leaving their loved one with someone else. Guilt over leaving and difficulty letting go are not uncommon, even while they are in crisis from the chronic circumstance.
- Ensure that help or assistance is reliable. Consistency and trust matters for Family Caregiver peace of mind.
- Start with a few visits each week for short periods of 2 to 3 hours. Consider expanding the duration or frequency of respite if the caregiver and the care recipient do well with the short visits for the first week or two.
- Take it slow, don’t rush increasing support unless everyone is feeling comfortable.
- Family caregivers are running a marathon, not a sprint. We encourage all long-term Family caregivers to consider taking several full days or more away from the home and care each year.
Pro-tip: Coping is never copacetic! Get a backup plan in place should something happen to the family caregiver and engage at least minimal respite. Having a small support earlier on will make it easier to increase service later if needed.
Family Caregivers: Helpful Caregiving Technology
Have questions about your care options? Our Coordination Team is ready to help.
