Blueprint for Health
A Patient Teaching Aid
Recognizing and Easing Caregiver Stress
by Arline Kaplan| Geriatric Times |  |
July/August 2000 | |
Vol. I | |
Issue 2 |
The stress of caregiving can have serious health consequences: depression, inability to fight off infections and serious illness. Caregivers are at increased risk for anemia, arthritis, ulcers, heart trouble and diabetes.
To reduce your stress level, arrange regular health checkups for yourself; enlist help from family, friends and others with the task of caregiving; take breaks to give yourself respite from caregiving; use humor and perspective to balance your emotions; learn relaxation techniques; join a support group; and when you need to, talk with a mental health counselor, your minister or rabbi, or other caring professional.
Most chapters of the Alzheimer's Association sponsor free support groups where caregivers can learn about the disease, obtain caregiving tips and share information.
The Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR), established by the National Institute on Aging, can provide you with publications on various aspects of dementia; updates on Alzheimer's disease research; referrals to local, state and national resources; and information about clinical trials of possible treatments for dementia. Contact information for ADEAR is (800)438-4380 or <www.alzheimers.org>.
Respite care may be available in nursing facilities, hospitals, assisted living facilities, Veterans Health Administration medical facilities and other locations. An increasing number of communities have adult daycare centers. The centers provide Alzheimer's patients with structured, comprehensive programs in a protected setting, so caregivers can maintain a career, preserve a social life, or get needed rest and relaxation. For information on respite care, adult day care and other services, contact the Alzheimer's Association's Eldercare Locator services at (800)677-1116; the National Adult Day Services Association at (202)479-6682; or consult your local telephone book for "adult daycare centers."
As you continue in your caregiving responsibilities, remember to give yourself credit, not guilt. As the Alzheimer's Association acknowledges, "Being a devoted caregiver is not something to feel guilty about. Your loved one needs you, and you are there. That's something to be proud of. And if your loved one could, they'd thank you."
(Sources for information included in this handout are the Alzheimer's Association brochure Caregiver Stress-Signs To Watch For…Steps To Take and Understanding and Treating Alzheimer's Disease: A Primer by Jeffrey L. Cummings, M.D.)
Signs of Caregiver Stress
- Denial about the disease and its effect on the person for whom you are caring
- Withdrawing from friends and activities that once brought you pleasure
- Feeling constantly overwhelmed and tired
- Feeling irritable or angry
- Being unable to concentrate
- Being unable to sleep because of unending concerns
- Developing physical ailments such as blurred vision, stomach irritation or high blood pressure
- Feeling depressed and unable to cope
- Feeling anxiety about what the future holds