Recognizing Caregiver Burnout

31 Jan Recognizing Caregiver Burnout

Caregiver burnout is a subject that is known to carry shame, guilt, and judgement and unfortunately is not discussed enough. Therefore, we will break the silence and do it here.  For starters, caregiver burnout does not equate to more or less love.  Again, let us be clear that whether you are burned out or not as caregiver,  does not equate to the fact that you love the one (s) you care for any more or any less.  It simply means that you are a human; not a machine and humans have a certain level of capacity.  If you are experiencing burnout, chances are, that you may have exceeded your level of capacity.

Many caregivers, regardless of whether they are family caregivers, friends, or professional caregivers, do not always realize or are afraid to admit that they are experiencing burnout. Here we will define what caregiver burnout is, a few symptoms to look for,  causes related to it, and how to address it in order to achieve a balance between caregiving and personal wellbeing.

Understanding Caregiver Burnout

Being a caregiver can be stressful regardless of how much an individual wants to help or cares about the person they are caring for. One of the most common situations caregivers find themselves in, is being overwhelmed by the realities of caregiving. Taking care of another person may take place over years which can take an emotional toll.

This is particularly true when the senior being cared for begins to deteriorate. Burnout, sometimes results in mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion which is why it’s important to take address it, just like caregivers take care of their care recipients.

Signs of Caregiver Burnout

Signs of caregiver burnout  may resemble many of those like stress and depression. A caregiver may experience things such as:

• Irritability
• Changes in appetite or weight or both
• Having feelings of self-harm towards yourself or the person you care for
• Physical or emotional exhaustion 
• Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed before

Causes of Burnout

Caregiver burnout can be caused by multiple factors  such as a feeling of lack of control, being overwhelmed with appointments for the one that you are caring for while missing appointments for yourself, isolation, loneliness, and having unrealistic expectations for the outcome of care, just to name a few. 

How to Address Burnout

Many factors related to caregiving are out of the the caregiver’s control,  so one way to cope is to address the things that are within control. This helps reduce stress. Accept the limitations of the situation at hand. Avoid feelings of helpless or powerlessness.

Seek help when needed.  Join support groups, hire help if you are able, look into local resources, communicate with medical professionals to help you understand how to better manage the care of your loved one.  Take walks.  Journal.  Sleep.  Hydrate.  Eat well.  

If you need  additional help finding ways to prevent or cope with caregiver burnout or are simply looking for a better way to manage the care of your loved one, reach out to us at Happily Ever After Senior Living. We’re here to help with every challenge when it comes to caregiving.