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Taking on the responsibility of caregiving is no small task. It is a commitment that requires many hours, days, and long nights. Stress is a very common occurrence for caregivers and taking care of yourself, as a paid or non-paid caregiver, may be at the bottom of your list. We want to help you move that to the top of the list.  This year, we explored Understanding Your Emotions to Help with Caregiving so you can increase your mental health and one of only ways to do that is through self-reflection. We shared with you a FREE Caregivers Journal and provided our best tips to make caregiving easier.

In collaboration with Rachael Wonderlin, Dementia By Day, Consultant to Source of Life Technologies

We can all agree caregiving is stressful. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we want to make sure you are not leaving your stress unchecked!

Source of Life Technologies, along with Home Care Providers, is partnering with Rachael Wonderlin, Dementia By Day owner and consultant, to bring tips to handling caregiver stress and burnout.

In collaboration with Rachael Wonderlin, Dementia By Day, Consultant to Source of Life Technologies

I work with caregivers on an everyday basis. I talk with them on the phone, I offer caregiving advice in support groups, I meet caregivers at weddings and baby showers, I receive emails from care partners asking for help or commenting on my blog posts. Everywhere, every time, care partners are fighting one battle or another. They bear an incredible amount of weight on their shoulders because they have their own lives to manage on top of caring for another person. Whether it is at home or in a dementia care community, caring for someone living with dementia can take a toll. Fortunately, there are ways to combat and cope with the stress of caregiving.

Caregivers and older adults are often very concerned about safety but may also think about their privacy, their sense of identity and dignity, and also their level of independence. Caregivers are capable of so much and our experiences are our building blocks for the strength and stamina needed physically, emotionally and mentally. But what happens when we are exhausted and overwhelmed? How do we balance the needs of our loved one and our own as a caregiver?

We can all agree that caregiving in 2021 has been a year unlike any other. We may have thought 2021 would bring some respite for care providers but this just wasn’t the case.

There is a mental, physical and financial toll effecting our nations caregivers. Caregiver burnout comes from immense stress occurring from many sides including the caregivers themselves.

Caregivers often forego the care they need for themselves leading to the inevitable burnout. Statistically, unpaid caregivers report activities of enjoyment in their day-to-day life are often reduced due to their responsibilities of caregiving. Feelings of isolation and overwhelmingness leading to burnout can come from things like: