This week I’ve been thinking a lot about caregiver burnout and just how extremely difficult it is to constantly care for a loved one (especially a close family member). My sweet mother in-law has a medical chart that would fill a small storage unit. The past year she has been admitted to the hospital 6 times for an average stay of 3 weeks. At the age of 42 she had a medical emergency that she was lucky to walk away from but unfortunately left her blind. Before her accident, she was extremely active and involved in anything she could get her hands on. For the past 8 years she had to relearn how to live without vision. Not only did she do that, but she is now teaching others that have lost their sight how to function. An amazing woman to say the least.
This past year has been very hard on her though…constant pain, long stays at the hospital, an unpredictable health is what she has endured. I’ve watched her husband, kids and even myself try to juggle our lives with the outstanding needs and care that she has needed. We are lucky to have a lot of family members around pitch in. However, my husband and I recently moved in with them and it has taken our caregiving status to a whole new level. It has only been a week and I already feel a bit of weight on my shoulders. I started looking at caregiving websites and reading up on some tips and resources for caregivers to prevent burnout.
I found this tip very interesting… “There’s a difference between caring and doing. Be open to technologies and ideas that promote your loved one’s independence.” Ha! That is very much OT! Even though she is family, and I am out of work and OTA school mode when I am at home…those same principles we’ve learned about taking a step back and letting the client “do as much as they can do and we will help with the rest”…totally applies! I want to continue to help promote that independence she worked so hard to achieve. I am sure that I will learn the balance as I get used to her daily lifestyle
I also wanted to share a GREAT resource for caregivers. It is the annual Triangle Caregivers Conference in Raleigh on June 21st from 8am-4pm. They have wonderful presentations and activities all day long like…Virtual Dementia Tour, Hand Massages, Legal Planning for the Caregiver, Resonating with People with Dementia and Their Caregivers: Music Therapy Applications, Support Group-What to Expect and How to Make it Work for You…just to name a few.
And it’s only $5 for caregivers! I think it is definitely worth passing this info on to caregivers.
I’ve attached their website and agenda to the title of this blog.
I love this post because it makes a point that is so true but hard to understand unless you've been there. Caring for an adult that is old, ill or disabled is very much a 24/7 job. There is no break, and any human alive would break under that strain. I've witnessed people's marriages break up over the strain of caring for an elderly parent and so now understand just how difficult that can be. Knowing that being as independent as possible is what most people want and what is best for them, gives us motivation to enable and empower them to do as much as they can.
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