Who Cares for the Caregiver?

For caregivers, juggling the demands of work and family with parenting our own parents can be a struggle. Just listen to the emotional turmoil expressed by fellow caregivers attempting to manage a turbulent, uncharted course and fill a role they most definitely never wished for.

In Their Own Words

"It's like no experience I've ever had. When I'm at work, I worry about her alone at home, and when I stay home, I'm a basket case thinking that I'll lose my job. I barely have words to describe how hard it is." --P.P.

"Guiding decisions for my in-laws who live in Florida while I'm in Connecticut is like walking through an unlit minefield. It requires understanding legal, financial, and medical regulations and terms that are the equivalent of trying to learn three foreign languages all at the same time. I am beyond crazed." --M.S.

"From the day they diagnosed my mom with Alzheimer's, I felt like Alice in Wonderland, falling down a rabbit hole into a totally alien world—no compass, no map to guide me. Desperation doesn't begin to describe it." --H.M.

Taking a Toll on Women

What's more, according to Homewatch International, the task of caregiving in America is increasingly falling on women. Acknowledging the physical, emotional, and psychological toll such as role can take, the National Women's Health Information Center urges female caregivers to be especially mindful about making their health and well-being a priority.

"Studies show that female caregivers have more emotional and physical health problems, employment-related problems, and financial strain than male caregivers," the Center reports. Plus, "caregivers for people with Alzheimer's disease or other kinds of dementia are particularly vulnerable to burnout.

12 Tips for Caregivers

The good news? You can take positive steps to prevent exhaustion and burnout by following 12 self-care tips:

1. Ask for and accept help.
2. Stay in touch with friends and family (social activities can help you feel connected and may reduce stress).
3. Find time for exercise most days of the week.
4. Prioritize and establish a daily routine.
5. See your doctor for a checkup; ask about symptoms of depression or sickness you may be having.
6. Ask your doctor about taking a multivitamin.
7. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in saturated fat.
8. Look to faith-based groups for encouragement and support.
9. Join an online support group for caregivers.
10. Try to get enough sleep and rest.
11. Take it one day at a time.
12. And finally, with the dawn of each new day, do something to make your life a little bit better, a little bit easier, a little bit happier. If you do, you will have learned how to make inner peace a way of life instead of an occasional experience!