Health Care: Caregivers -- Avert the Pitfalls of Burnout!

With more than half of Canada’s 2.1 million family caregivers taking care if elderly parents, caregiver burnout is becoming an issue of widespread concern for the nation’s families. An estimated 29 percent of Canadian caregivers surveyed report that their sleep patterns have changed and 21 percent said that their health has been affected, according to Statistics Canada.

One in three (33%) of caregivers identify the need for additional home care services primarily in the form of housekeeping, a personal care worker, and respite or nursing visit, according to Health Canada’s National Profile of Family.

Ideally, many families want to provide for their senior loved ones. Realistically, the demands on most family’s lives make caring for an elderly family member very stressful. Home Instead Senior Care, the world’s largest non-medical at-home care and companionship service for the elderly, hires CAREGivers to help seniors with meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, transportation, errands and shopping. The company serves as a respite for overburdened family caregivers.

Few people are prepared for the responsibilities and tasks involved in caring for an older adult, according to an article prepared for the Canadian Health Network by the Alberta Council on Aging and the Consumer Health Information System. It’s important for family caregivers to admit they need help and to develop a game plan. If you’re a caregiver, here are some signs that you might be burned out:

Feeling angry toward the person for whom you’re caring
Losing touch with friends
Feeling anxious about the future
Having thoughts of helplessness and lack of control
Having difficulty sleeping and concentrating
Being exhausted.

The biggest mistake that many people make is not getting help soon enough. Family caregivers should not wait until they are at the end of their rope. For more information on CAREGiver Stress you can visit www.caregiverstress.com

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