Caregivers: Remember to Care for Yourself

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans currently have dementia, with Alzheimer’s dementia being the most common. Over 5 million caregivers are unpaid and devote countless hours to caregiving every year. All this while working and taking care of their own families. In fact, many caregivers are forced to take on a second job in order to help cover their loved ones expenses incurred by their illness of dementia. As one can imagine, over time, the stress of caregiving begins to take a toll, both financially and emotionally, and caregivers’ health begins to suffer. Although stress is a normal part of everyone’s life, experiencing stress over a long period of time can have a negative impact on your health. It can lead to increased stress or anxiety, depression, obesity, a weak immune system, poor memory and concentration, and chronic conditions such as diabetes and cancer, and heart disease. Signs and Symptoms of Caregiver Stress Too Much or Too Little Sleep Irritability Isolation Social Withdrawal Poor Concentration Feeling Overwhelmed Feeling Tired all of the time Weight Gain or Weight Loss Excessive Worry In my experience in working with caregivers, the concept of self-care has seemed like a foreign one to them. More often than not I hear statements such as, “I just don’t have the time”, “I feel guilty doing something for myself”, or “I don’t have anyone to help me”.  Getting caught in the day-to-day rut is very c...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Aging Alzheimer's Anxiety and Panic Caregivers Family Habits Health-related Inspiration & Hope Memory and Perception Stress adult day care Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer’s Association Burnout caregiving Dementia Disability Source Type: blogs