Caregiver stress can occur if you are providing care for an elderly or ill loved one who has begun to negatively affect your life both while caregiving and outside of caregiving. Caregiver burnout occurs when you become exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally from providing care to someone else. Studies show that 60% of caregivers experience burnout at some point, so you’re not alone. Client advocacy services providers can take care of many details so you can focus on caring for yourself and your loved one without feeling overwhelmed.
What Leads to Caregiver Burnout?
Many aspects of caregiving can lead to burnout. There isn’t a set time frame of when it will happen or what will be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back, but these aspects of caregiving can easily drive a person to a place of feeling burned out and overwhelmed.
Reality doesn’t match expectations. Maybe you thought your loved one would really enjoy having your help with meals and house cleaning, but instead, she complains about each action you do for her. Or perhaps you knew you would have to help your loved one with some personal care needs but didn’t realize how much you would need to do or how much time it would involve.
Role reversals. It can be hard to find yourself in the parenting role of your elderly loved one. This may be even tougher for your loved one who doesn’t want his child to tell him when and if he can drive. The reversal of family roles can create a lot of stress when you try to make important decisions in care.
Too many responsibilities. You never knew you’d have to learn so much about a disease and then fight insurance companies to cover treatments or hunt for doctors who are better advocates for your loved one. Maybe you didn’t realize how much in debt your elderly loved one was in, and now you’re having to manage broken finances as well.
Symptoms That You Might Be Experiencing Burnout
With all of the responsibilities that come with caregiving, how do you know if you’re burned out or just tired?
Here are some key symptoms that could indicate you are facing burnout:
- You feel like no one can or will help you.
- You can’t find joy in things you used to enjoy.
- You’ve stopped taking care of yourself physically, mentally, or socially.
- Your moods seem out of control.
- You’re constantly getting sick.
- You keep forgetting important things or events.
How Client Advocacy Services Can Help You Avoid Burnout
You might think that client advocacy services are offered to provide your loved one with the services she needs. While that’s true, client advocacy services can be a great help to caregivers as well. When you hire a client advocate from a company that offers client advocacy services, you get someone who is going to listen to your concerns, make suggestions for easy and well-fitted solutions, and help you navigate the areas you are struggling the most with. When you have a client advocate on your loved one’s care team, you get to let them manage some of the most stressful parts of being a caregiver like finding the right specialist for your loved one, managing medications, reviewing healthcare options, and so much more.
Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9225-caregiver-burnout
If you or an aging loved one are considering Client Advocacy Services in Galion OH, please contact the caring staff at Central Star Home Health today. Call 419-756-9449
Central Star Home Health is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Ohio including Ashland, Bellville, Bucyrus, Crestline, Galion, Lexington, Mansfield, Marion, Mt. Vernon, Ontario, Shelby, and Willard.
- Are You Heading Toward Caregiver Burnout? - January 15, 2025
- What To Do When Your Senior Parent Is Malnourished - January 6, 2025
- Home Care Reduces Stress For You And Your Senior Parent - January 2, 2025
