Coping With Elder Caregiving

A Carebridge SeminarA Carebridge Seminar

IntroductionIntroduction

What is Caregiving?What is Caregiving?

What Should Caregivers Know About Stress?What Should Caregivers Know About Stress?

Symptoms and Causes of Caregiver’s StressSymptoms and Causes of Caregiver’s Stress

Strategies for Stress ManagementStrategies for Stress Management

What Resources are Available?What Resources are Available?

Questions / DiscussionQuestions / Discussion

Coping with Elder Coping with Elder CaregivingCaregiving

May be a spouse, son, May be a spouse, son, daughter, neighbor, daughter, neighbor, close friend, or close friend, or distant relativedistant relative

Provides care out of Provides care out of love, a sense of love, a sense of obligation, or bothobligation, or both

A Caregiver . . .A Caregiver . . .

Is a person who is Is a person who is concerned about concerned about

providing physical, providing physical, emotional, or emotional, or

financial assistance financial assistance to an older personto an older person

A Caregiver . . .A Caregiver . . .

Makes concessions and Makes concessions and personal sacrifices to personal sacrifices to provide care for another provide care for another personperson

May have competing May have competing responsibilities for responsibilities for children, spouse, and jobchildren, spouse, and job

A Caregiver . . .A Caregiver . . .

Often interrupts or Often interrupts or postpones personal goals postpones personal goals because of caregiving because of caregiving responsibilitiesresponsibilities

May experience a wide May experience a wide range of emotions and range of emotions and feelings regarding the feelings regarding the caregiving situationcaregiving situation

A Caregiver . . .A Caregiver . . .

A reaction to a A reaction to a situation that situation that requires a person requires a person to respond or to respond or adjustadjust

What is Stress?What is Stress?

The release of cortisol – The release of cortisol – “stress hormone”“stress hormone”

A physical reaction – A physical reaction – blood pressure rises, blood pressure rises, heart rate increasesheart rate increases

A signal to the body to A signal to the body to be “on alert’be “on alert’

What is Stress?What is Stress?

What is Stress?What is Stress?

Some stress is beneficialSome stress is beneficial

Prolonged stress can impact on Prolonged stress can impact on healthhealth

Emotional or Emotional or physical exhaustionphysical exhaustion

Physical problemsPhysical problems

Sleep disturbancesSleep disturbances

Appetite changesAppetite changes

Marital/family Marital/family problemsproblems

Conflict among life Conflict among life roles: spouse, roles: spouse, employee, parent, employee, parent, caregivercaregiver

Alcohol or drug Alcohol or drug misusemisuse

DepressionDepression Neglect or abuse of Neglect or abuse of

older personolder person

Symptoms of Prolonged Symptoms of Prolonged StressStress

AvoidanceAvoidance

HelplessnessHelplessness

ResistanceResistance

Unhealthy Unhealthy ReactionsReactions

Reactions to StressReactions to Stress

RigidityRigidity

DepressionDepression

AnxietyAnxiety

ImmobilityImmobility

Unhealthy Unhealthy ReactionsReactions

Reactions to StressReactions to Stress

FlexibilityFlexibility

Taking ActionTaking Action

SurvivingSurviving

Healthy ReactionsHealthy Reactions

Reactions to StressReactions to Stress

Viewing as a Viewing as a challengechallenge

AcceptanceAcceptance

Healthy ReactionsHealthy Reactions

Reactions to StressReactions to Stress

AdaptabilityAdaptability

ResourcefulnessResourcefulness

Identify your sources of stressIdentify your sources of stress

Set realistic goals and expectationsSet realistic goals and expectations

Establish your limitsEstablish your limits

Ask for and accept helpAsk for and accept help

Take care of yourselfTake care of yourself

Involve other people Involve other people

Strategies for PreventingStrategies for PreventingCaregiver BurnoutCaregiver Burnout

Know which stresses you can do Know which stresses you can do something about and which ones something about and which ones are beyond your controlare beyond your control

Change your reaction to things Change your reaction to things beyond your controlbeyond your control

STRATEGY 1:STRATEGY 1:Identify Your Sources of Identify Your Sources of

StressStress

Know your individual Know your individual situationsituation

Try to balance what Try to balance what you think you you think you “should” do to what “should” do to what you can realistically you can realistically dodo

STRATEGY 2:STRATEGY 2:Set Realistic Goals and Set Realistic Goals and

ExpectationsExpectations

Try to be objective when you Try to be objective when you assess your situation rather then assess your situation rather then be influenced by your emotionsbe influenced by your emotions

Set short-term goals that are Set short-term goals that are specific and can be achievedspecific and can be achieved

STRATEGY 2:STRATEGY 2:Set Realistic Goals and Set Realistic Goals and

ExpectationsExpectations

Learn how to say “no”Learn how to say “no”

Communicate to family Communicate to family members and your ill members and your ill relative about what your relative about what your limits arelimits are

STRATEGY 3:STRATEGY 3:Establish Your LimitsEstablish Your Limits

Reach out for Reach out for assistance, this is a assistance, this is a sign of strengthsign of strength

Be specific about Be specific about your needsyour needs

Be positive and Be positive and flexibleflexible

STRATEGY 4:STRATEGY 4:Ask For and Accept HelpAsk For and Accept Help

Express your feelingsExpress your feelings

Maintain your healthMaintain your health

Take time for yourselfTake time for yourself

Learn stress-coping Learn stress-coping mechanismsmechanisms

STRATEGY 5:STRATEGY 5:Take Care of YourselfTake Care of Yourself

Hold a family conferenceHold a family conference

Involve professional help, if neededInvolve professional help, if needed

Utilize community resourcesUtilize community resources

STRATEGY 6:STRATEGY 6:Involve Other PeopleInvolve Other People

Senior CentersSenior Centers Transportation Transportation

ServicesServices Home Health AidesHome Health Aides Home-Delivered Home-Delivered

MealsMeals

Personal Emergency Personal Emergency Response SystemsResponse Systems

Adult Day Care Adult Day Care CentersCenters

Assisted Living Assisted Living FacilitiesFacilities

Nursing HomesNursing Homes

Community ResourcesCommunity Resources

STRATEGY 6:STRATEGY 6:Involve Other PeopleInvolve Other People

1-800-437-0911

www.myliferesource.com

Carebridge Can HelpCarebridge Can Help

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