Are you or someone you know a caregiver? It’s important for caregivers to make sure that while they’re looking after others, they’re also looking after themselves.
Being a caregiver for a loved one with a chronic or complex condition can be stressful due to the high levels of dependency and care the individual requires. Noting signs of stress and burnout when they first start ensures that caregiving can still occur, but not at the expense of the caregiver’s personal holistic health.
Common signs of caregiver stress to look out for includes:
- Trouble sleeping
- Trouble focusing and maintaining current duties
- Feeling resentful and/or hopeless
- Feeling anxious, depressed or irritable
- Feeling exhausted and constantly tired even after resting
- Constant new health issues (eg. the flu) or an increase in the severity of current ones
- An increase in drinking, smoking or eating
- A decrease in personal hobbies and interests
Caregivers need to have their own lives where their needs are also met and they feel fulfilled and well rested. Caregiver burnout can happen when you’re either too busy or feel so discouraged and overwhelmed that you stop trying to look after yourself.
Delegating care responsibilities means that your loved one is still looked after, but there is now the time and energy to take care of your own wellbeing too.
As an aged care provider, at Scalabrini we aim to come alongside caregivers to provide customised care for those who require dementia care, palliative care and chronic and complex care. We understand that there is no one size fits all approach to aged care and that every individual is unique in their personality and their needs.
Contact Scalabrini today at 1800 722 522 or email us at enquiries@scalabrini.com.au to see how we can provide everything you value most when it comes to quality aged care and help you decide if aged care is right for you and your loved one.
