Caregivers Desperately Need Support, Too:
When a woman becomes a mom, many times she’s flooded with home-cooked meals from neighbors, offers to babysit from friends, and loving emotional assistance from family. Her community around her understands just how difficult it is to give round-the-clock care to another person, no matter how cute they may be.
However, home caregivers of the elderly are in quite a similar boat, yet receive little to no support. Why is this so?
While taking care of a loved one can feel incredibly rewarding, it can become a huge strain on the caregiver's mental health. In order to properly care for others, caregivers need support to nurture themselves, too.
Let’s talk about a few ways caregivers can feel supported so you can provide relief to a caretaker in your life.
What Tasks Does a Caregiver Perform?
In order to understand how to support caregivers, we need to address all the different tasks caretakers are subject to on a daily basis. No matter how much they may love the person they’re caring for, a person can only handle putting themselves on the back burner for so long.
Tasks of a caregiver include, but are not limited to:
Assist with personal care such as hygiene
Meal preparation and feeding
Medical device changes
Dressing
Shopping
Housekeeping
Overseeing medication
Appointment scheduling, reminders, and transportation
Toileting
As you can see, caregivers must think of themselves last in order to keep their loved one happy, healthy, and comfortable. Without a break or any support, this can quickly snowball into a distressing situation.
How To Support Caregivers:
Do you know a caregiver in your life? Maybe your friend has just taken in their elderly mother who has terminal cancer. Or, perhaps you know a family member with a severely disabled child. Either way, the endless tasks and risk of burnout remain. Here are a few ways to provide support and assistance during this chapter of their life
Offer To Give Them a Break:
Oftentimes, caregivers are the only ones around that have the resources to care for a loved one. Caregiver burnout is very real, so offering to relieve them of their responsibilities even for a few hours may give them a very much needed break. This can give them time to take care of themselves, something most likely neglected.
Offer Help In Any Way You Can:
If the loved one has medical needs that require the caregiver to be nearby, ask them to make a list of anything they need for themself. This may be deodorant, body wash, or anything else they simply haven’t been able to go to the store to get. Throw in an iced coffee or some candles to pamper the caregiver and make them feel important. This can go so much farther than you realize
Assist In Any Chores Around The House:
Not only are caregivers providing 24/7 care for another person, they still have household chores to do for themselves and their families. One massive way to give caregivers relief and assistance is by offering to do a few of these for them. Coming over to wash and fold laundry, wash dishes, or vacuum the house can allow the caretaker to take a moment for themselves and relax.
What Caregivers Really Need:
Caregivers are often average, everyday people who were suddenly thrown into a situation they weren’t expecting. Even if it’s their mother whom they love dearly, focusing all your attention and mental energy on another person can quickly become draining. Caregivers ultimately need to feel and know their needs are recognized and cherished as well.
Providing support to a caregiver can be as elaborate as booking them a trip for the weekend, all the way to as simple as cleaning up around the house.
If you know a caregiver close to you, check-in with them. Ask them how they’re truly doing, and let them know you want to support them in any way you can. This will help everyone involved, and make you feel good, too!
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