Tips To Help A Family Caregiver Avoid Depression
In challenging economic times, more and more families are volunteering as home caregivers for their aging loved ones. For some adults, offering services as a caregiver is a chance to provide a service to an elderly family member, but even the most well-intentioned caregivers can find themselves battling depression as the strain of providing constant care builds. The American Medical Association reports that family members or friends who provide home care to elderly loved ones experience increased risk for periods of depression or chronic depression. If you think a caregiver you know may be nearing the brink of breakdown, here are some practical and useful tips to help the caregiver avoid depression.
Address the needs of the caregiver. Many caregivers begin to forgo their own needs as they tend to the needs of their loved one. Caregivers may skip meals, lose sleep or disregard through own personal health in order to provide consistent care. Encourage the caregiver to put herself first in order to avoid depression. Offer to cook a few meals a week for the caregiver and lend a hand on larger tasks to ease the work burden.
Establish a schedule. Caregivers often feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks involved in providing home care. Assist the caregiver in arranging a realistic daily schedule. Include periods of rest or respite in the schedule; encourage the caregiver to treat those items as seriously as all other tasks. Building in time and organizing tasks will guard against caregiver depression.
Set realistic goals for providing care. Some caregivers develop depression because they expect too much as a result of their care; for example, some caregivers may believe that if they provide the right kinds of care, their loved one will recover from a chronic illness. Help a caregiver establish small daily, weekly and long-term goals for care. Acknowledge the accomplishment of goals with small celebrations like dinners out or relaxing retreats.
Help the caregiver join a caregiver support group. Local organizations like churches, community centers or local senior centers may organize caregiver support groups to help caregivers establish a connection with peers in similar situations. Caregiver support groups are valuable sources of exchanging information and resources to ease the emotional, physical or financial burden of care giving, all factors which contribute to caregiver depression.
Practice coping mechanisms for dealing with stress. Help the caregiver establish strategies for managing stressful situations; create a list of contacts and phone numbers who can assist in medical situations. Provide materials like diaries, stress balls or relaxing music that can serve as stress support for caregivers. Stress is a major contributing factor to caregiver depression, so managing it is an important step in preventing depressive episodes.
[For many families, the option of multiple family members helping out isn't possible. In home care is designed specifically to provide a service to help out when needed, and help you as a family caregiver avoid depression. ]
