Throughout the United States, 53 million American adults are caregivers- that is nearly 22% of the adult population! Caregiving can be a rewarding experience but it also comes with a fair amount of stress due to the increase in responsibility. Managing the stress of caregiving is key to avoid burnout and maintain a positive relationship with your care recipient. A 2022 study showed that care receivers often reported feeling more abandoned when their caregivers struggled with burnout, leading to deteriorating relationships. Avoiding burnout is important for both the caregiver and the recipient. Keep reading to learn tips to implement to prevent caregiver burnout. To read more about the intricacies of caregiver burnout and how it affects the caregiver and recipient, read our previous blogpost titled Navigating Caregiver Burnout.

1. Get Organized and Stay Organized

When you step into a caretaker role it can be incredibly overwhelming. Between necessary daily tasks, weekly grocery trips, and monthly doctor's visits life can get hectic when you begin taking care of a spouse or loved one. Try setting aside time to sit down and write a list of everything you do as a caretaker and the frequency with which it needs to be done.

Daily tasks can be written on a dry erase board on the fridge to be checked off throughout the day or rewritten on a post it every morning. Monthly and weekly tasks can be written down and tracked on a wall calendar, in a weekly and monthly planner, in your phone's calendar app, depending on your preferences. The most important thing when choosing an organizing system is to go with what works for you! For example: if you are not very tech savvy, don't try to keep track of doctors appointments with your phone calendar app, keep a small planner on you instead!

2. Delegate and Accept Help:

Does your care recipient have anyone else in their life that you can count on? It is a great idea to share caregiving responsibilities when possible to avoid overwhelming the primary caregiver. Maybe your son can pick up your mom's medications and your sister can drive mom to her appointments? Spreading out tasks among multiple people can help to ensure that no one person is tasked with more than they accomplish.

3. Help The Care Recipient Help Themselves

Take a good look at your care recipients abilities and needs. Is there anything you can do to make their life more accessible? Installing grab bars in the bathroom, renting a stair chair lift, and placing commonly used items within reach will help to make the person you are caring for more independent and self sufficient. This will improve the experience and relationship of both the caregiver and the recipient.

4. Seek Support by Connecting with a Friend or Joining a Support Group:

You are not alone! Because social isolation and loneliness in caregivers can lead to burnout, prioritizing meaningful connection is important. Social connection with existing friends and family can provide relief from the stress of caregiving but sometimes it helps to connect with someone who knows exactly what you are going through. Caregiver support groups are an incredible opportunity to talk with people who are in a similar situation in a structured setting. Consider searching online for caregiver support groups in your area.

5. Don't Forget to Care For Yourself

If you have ever heard the phrase "you can't pour from an empty cup" it is an important reminder that caring for others is only possible when you care for yourself. It is very easy to lose yourself in the act of caregiving which is why it is important to carve out time every day to practice self care. Basic tasks from drinking enough water to getting enough sleep can fall by the wayside when you are in the thick of caretaking so come up with a plan to make sure your needs are met. Take it a step further by implementing a daily walk, deep breathing session, or period of relaxed time in nature. These are all great ways to decompress and take some time for yourself.

6. Celebrate Small Victories

Recognizing your caregiving successes -no matter how small- is incredibly important! If caregiving has been a struggle recently, consider treating yourself to a massage or a nice dinner. Keeping your morale up is incredibly important as a caregiver!

7. Work with a Home Care Agency

Bringing a home care agency into the fold means adding extra support and freeing up more of your time as a caregiver. If your care recipient has Medicaid or long term care insurance, they may qualify for coverage. If insurance coverage is not a possibility, private pay is an option and many agencies have discounts for veterans and service members.

Structured family caregiving can be a great option if you and your care recipient are eligible. Structured family caregiving is a Medicaid funded program that that enables eligible caregivers to receive financial support for caring for their family. Caregivers receive training and education tailored to their loved one's needs, along with access to respite services. For more information on Structured Family Caregiving, read our blog post on the topic.

Implementing these tips whenever you can will help you to avoid caregiver burnout and ensure that you and your care recipient maintain a healthy and happy relationship. If you are interested in structured family caregiving or hiring a home care aid, call Total at 219-937-2811.