Caregiving for Seniors: The Emotional Impact it Has
When our loved one’s age, it is a common practice for the remaining family members to take on the responsibility of becoming caretakers.
Caregiving for seniors is a fulfilling endeavor that aims to help them experience the last stage of their lives happily and with dignity.
However, even when caregivers connect well with seniors, sometimes this task can take a heavy emotional and physical toll. This is because caretaking for seniors requires precious resources, such as time, energy, patience, and even specialized skills.
If you are about to assume the role of a caregiver, here we will cover the emotional impact of caretaking and how to deal with it.
The Impact on Caregivers
For caregivers to be able to take care of another human being, the most important thing is for them to be emotionally and physically healthy.
It is advisable to look out for the potential negative impact of caregiving. Here are some of the symptoms and signs of a negative impact on caregivers.
Emotional Impact
As much as caregivers love their role and their senior family members, they may experience negative emotions such as:
- Ambivalence
- Anger or irritability
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Frustration
- Grief
Recognizing Potential Harmful Signs and Symptoms
Recognizing signs that may jeopardize the health of caregivers is crucial for them to recover and prevent a major health withdrawal.
Signs and Symptoms
Most signs and symptoms are caused due to stress or burnout. Here are the main symptoms caregivers tend to experience:
- Difficulty focusing
- Decreased general health, such as getting sick more often or having a chronic illness get worse
- Getting easily irritable or angry about minor issues
- Having sudden and increasing feelings of resentment
- Sleep issues (insomnia, oversleeping)
- Feeling tired and restless but experience difficulty resting or relaxing
- Stress eating.
- Neglecting other aspects of your life
- Neglecting leisure activities
- Experiencing feelings of sadness, helplessness, or hopelessness
- No longer experiencing happiness from being a caregiver
- Impatience the person being cared for
How to Cope as a Caregiver
Many studies show that caregivers are at high risk for their lives to be negatively impacted in terms of their health. As well as the economy, and even social relationships.
We cannot stress this enough: just because you need help due to the impact that caregiving has had on you, it doesn’t mean you are a bad fit for the role. The first and most important thing we recommend is to ask for help.
Here are some other suggestions that may help to cope with being a caregiver:
- Share the responsibility, whether by asking family members to help out with a couple of tasks or considering hiring a part-time caregiver. If necessary, consider asking family members to chip in to help pay a caregiver.
- Speak up. Whether it is to a friend or family member, having someone to listen to your concerns can provide you with emotional comfort. If necessary, consider getting therapy.
- Practice Self-Care. Do not neglect your friends, leisure activities, or hobbies. Also, try to continue eating healthfully and exercising regularly.
If you are considering hiring a caregiver, A Better Solution in Home Care offers different plans to meet the needs of you and your loved ones. We ensure that our staff has deep experience providing seniors with the best possible care. Reach out to us. We can help.
