Sign’s You Are Overwhelmed as A Caregiver

Sign’s You Are Overwhelmed as A Caregiver

A caregiver is anyone who aids another person in need, such as a disabled spouse, ill child, or ageing parent. However, given the current economic status family members caring for senior adults is becoming increasingly difficult.  Despite the large percentage of family members providing care, many don’t recognize their role as a caregiver, and even more, are unable to recognize when they’re feeling overwhelmed.

Signs of Being Overwhelmed

We understand that providing in-home care to an aging parent or other family member can be rewarding for many reasons. For most caregivers, being available when a loved one needs someone is an important part of providing care. However, having to balance work and life responsibilities with care-giving can cause high levels of physical and emotional stress. Signs of caregiver exhaustion include:

  • Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or sad
  • Feeling abandoned by others, such as family members or friends
  • Worrying often and Feeling tired
  • Gaining or losing weight
  • Feeling irritated or angry
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Aches, pains, or other physical problems

Overtime, those who experience this level of caregiver stress can become vulnerable to diminished health. Overtime this can harm your health.

Risk Factors

In-home caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to experience depression and anxiety, suffer from lack of sleep, and become malnourished, all of which increase one’s risk of health complications and chronic diseases, such as diabetes and coronary artery disease. Risk factors for caregiver stress include:

  • Having no formal education
  • Living with the person you’re providing care for
  • Having limited social interaction
  • Receiving no help with caregiving duties
  • Having poor coping skills and problem-solving capabilities

Too much stress, especially over a long period of time, can harm your health. To help manage caregiver stress, it’s important to set realistic goals, see your physician regularly, and accept help when needed.

It may be difficult for you to take time away from your aging loved one, but taking a break from caregiving duties may be the best thing you can do for yourself and the person you’re caring for. Kells Home Healthcare provides respite care services.

Our team of compassionate and professional caregivers can provide a number of in-home services, including assistance with ADLs, physical therapy, rehabilitation, speech therapy, and more. If you’re still not sure if quality home healthcare by Kells is right for you and your family, our respite care services provide a temporary break from your caregiving duties and caregiver stress.

For more information or to request an in-home assessment please click here.

Do You Need Home Healthcare Services?

Home Healthcare Services

If you live far from your parent(s) and only visit them once or twice a year, it can be a shock when you arrive at their house and realize that things are worse than you thought they were.

Many of the elderly prize their independence, and it is often difficult for them to admit they need assistance with home or personal maintenance. The adult child can also feel like an unwanted intruder into his or her parents’ personal affairs.

How do you tell if your mom or dad needs home care if you live farther away? Here are some indications:

  • Your parent seems “off” when you speak to him or her
  • The neighbors are calling you because they are worried
  • You get a call from the emergency room that your mother or father has fallen
  • Your parents’ physician is calling you with concerns
  • They Forget key dates, and celebrations
  • They do not participate in family events/gatherings

These are some of the red flags. How do you get an objective view of what is really going on?

At this point, the services of a Care Manager (CM) can be of immense help. A Care Manager is a licensed professional, usually a registered nurse, with special experience helping families navigate through the labyrinth of available healthcare services. A CM will visit your parents at their home and assess their physical and cognitive status. During the assessment, the CM will discreetly evaluate how well the home is being maintained, if any changes could make the home safer, and if there are medical issues or cognitive challenges that need to be addressed. If there appears to be any issues or if a parent needs skilled nursing care, the CM will notify and work directly with your parent’s physician(s).  

The expense of employing a Care Manager is easily balanced by the cost of multiple trips to your parents’ home, missed work days, and the disruption to your family’s routine. Having a CM also helps reduce caregiver stress.

The scope of services that a CM can provide is determined by the specific needs of the elder adult and their family. These services include:

  • Assessing the elder client’s level of care and developing a plan of care with the client and their family
  • Initiating a plan of care (POC) and keeping it moving forward
  • Continuously assessing the client and making changes as needed to the POC
  • Managing the client’s care for out-of-town family members
  • Arranging for the intervention of legal and/or financial professionals, if needed
  • Serving as an advocate for the client and the primary caregiver/Power of Attorney
  • Supervising and directing the in-home caregivers
  • Scheduling and coordinating medical appointments
  • Communicating with family members regarding the outcome of medical appointments
  • Providing medication management on a regular basis
  • Providing anticipatory guidance to avoid issues or problems

As the population ages, Care Managers are becoming an increasingly important member of the healthcare team. Much like turning to a CPA to assist with the yearly taxes or contacting a lawyer when legal problems arise, it makes sense to use a professional Care Manager to manage the care of our loved ones.