Caregivers: It’s OK to Ask for Help
Dr. Cameual Wright, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
We all want what’s best for everyone whom we consider family. Many gracious people go above and beyond to ensure all the needs of their loved ones are met. Someone caring for another recovering from illness, those helping an elderly parent with basic activities or others providing a safe environment for a child in need have one thing in common- they are all caregivers.
A caregiver is anyone helping someone with short or long-term limitations. There are professional caregivers who do these tasks as part of their livelihood. Equally important are those informal or “family” caregivers - relatives, friends or neighbors who voluntarily care for someone close to them. No matter the circumstances, being a caregiver can be a huge undertaking and can lead to great burnout if not managed
Taking care of family
The holidays are a time when families will come together and celebrate. As people check in on their loved ones, they may notice changes in their health. Elderly visits to the ER often increase around the holidays, as their family may have been unaware of how their health has worsened since their last visit. While doctors can sometimes reassure their loved ones that the worrisome issues are a normal part of aging, these changes may cause families to consider implementing a caregiver system.
According to AARP, Indiana has around 790,000 family caregivers. This isn’t specific to elderly relatives, as it can also include taking care of younger adults with physical or mental disabilities. Being a caregiver takes a lot of patience and focus, and sometimes can lead people to neglect their own needs. This is one of the many reasons caregiving can cause increased stress in some people.
AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving found that at least 36% of caregivers are highly stressed with their duties. With so many responsibilities, there’s a chance that so much stress can lead to burnout, with symptoms such as depression, anxiety or exhaustion. If not addressed, this can also lead to decreased quality of care for your loved one or feelings of apathy.
One of the ways caregivers can avoid feeling burnt out is to make sure they are still taking time for themselves. Even if it’s not long, they should block out time to do something for their own physical or mental health. Taking a walk outside, cooking a healthy meal, talking on the phone with a friend — all of these can help reenergize caregivers. Most importantly, it’s okay to ask for help, whether from other family and friends or a professional caregiver.
Caregiving to vulnerable children
In Indiana, there are over 13,000 children in the foster care system. Caregiving could involve taking care of children that aren’t your own. Sometimes these foster parents are grandparents, aunts, uncles or even close family friends become primary caregivers to children in need of a safe, stable home. Unfortunately, physical or socioeconomic strains may ultimately cause these caregivers to decide that they too are unable to meet the many needs of the child. This is one of the many reasons children enter the foster care system. Often, proper support and resources can help avoid the need for foster home placement. Many resources are available for families through social services, school systems and other community programs. If you are a caregiver for children, know that is ok to ask for help and that there are many people willing to assist!
At CareSource, we’re partnering with CarePortal, an online service that unites local government agencies with churches, businesses and individuals who are willing to help meet the needs of vulnerable children and their families. Whether it’s needing a car repair to be able to get to work or needing diapers to get through the next few weeks, CarePortal helps connect families to a community ready and able to help. Through this partnership, we can offer support to specific family circumstances before a potential crisis occurs.
Being able to accept and ask for help can be uncomfortable, but necessary. Ultimately, we want what’s best for our loved ones, but we need to ensure we are taking care of ourselves in the process. Caregiving may feel overwhelming at times, but having boundaries, regular self-care activities, and a broad support system at your disposal can ensure everyone is fulfilled.