These days, much of the literature surrounding caregiving advises caregivers to "take a break," "care for themselves," and "put themselves first." This advice is easy to give, but at the end of the day, when you are caring for your own loved one, it is much harder to take. All the statistics show that increased negative health effects across the board and monetary strain accompany caregiving, but when you know you can help prevent your loved one from suffering, it is pretty hard to divorce yourself from total investment in caregiving duties. So what is the solution? When should you step away from your loved one?
Obviously, these questions are impossible to answer. Often, you receive the best advice from others who are in the same situations as you. For caregivers, support groups are a fantastic outlet. They give you the opportunity to not only vent stress, but compare notes and advice on how best to manage duties. As the proverb goes, "A trouble shared is a trouble halved." And when you are discussing these troubles with others experiencing the same troubles, it makes it much easier.
To find a caregiver support group near you, you can reach out to local community centers. Caregiver.com also provides a very valuable resource for finding local resources here. Good luck, and I hope you find a solution that best fits your needs.
Often finding adequate caregiving support is indeed one of the biggest challenges caregivers face.
ReplyDeleteIt's necessary though to reduce caregiver stress, which can potentially be devastating.
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Thank you for the comment Knitting Dr. Indeed, caregiving is immensely stressful, and as you point out, the health risks can be very harmful.
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