Question of the Week |
| Answers to common caregiver questions that we answer weekly. |
 Week of November 7, 2010 Question: What is a caregiver? Answer: The only groups and resources I ever find are for caregivers. I am not a ‘real’ caregiver. I only help my parents with a few things; grocery shopping, taking them to the doctor, and checking on them. Is there anything out there for me? Week of October 31, 2010 Question: My wife’s Parkinson’s is getting worse. I am feeling worn out and overwhelmed. What am I doing wrong? Answer: It could be that you are caring for her as if she has an acute illness. Caring for someone who has a chronic illness such as Parkinson’s disease requires a different approach than caring for someone with an acute illness, say the flu or a sprained ankle. An acute illness requires us to place our lives on hold for a defined short amount of time whereas a chronic illness will require our ongoing attention and support. Trying to place your life on hold while helping a loved one suffering from a chronic illness can be hazardous to you and your loved one's health. Self-care is essential to your well-being and health. Recognizing that you are dealing with a progressive, chronic illness is the first step to helping you care for you and your loved one. Accepting that you may need help can be a big stress reducer. Talk to your doctor, family, friends, or professionals about getting help with some of the caregiving tasks. This will give you some time to take care of you and your needs. Just because you are caring for someone does not mean you stop existing. You still have to eat, sleep, and take care of your needs. Week of October 24, 2010 Question: I feel stressed all of the time. How can I manage my stress? Answer: Caregiving is stressful. One of the most important things you can do, as a caregiver, is to take care of yourself and to manage your stress before it gets out of hand and debilitates you. Identifying your earliest warning signs of stress is the first step in managing stress. If you get headaches, are restless, or have a hard time concentrating, you may be stressed. Everybody has different warning signs.. It is important to find out what your personal warning signs are and where they come from. What causes you stress? Is it repeated questions? Lack of support from family? The hardest part is to identify what you can and cannot change. You can change your behavior, perception, and attitude, but you have no control over other people nor their actions. Once you have identified your warning signs, sources, and what you can and cannot change, take action. You can change the stressful situation, change your perspective, or change your response. Week of October 17, 2010 Question: My daily schedule is already overbooked. How can I find the time for self-care? Answer: When your schedule is so filled that you cannot find five minutes for ‘you’ time, that is when you need self-care the most. One of the barriers to self-care is being unrealistic about what you can or cannot do. Planning to take one hour every day may not be realistic for you and your situation. Start with the simple pleasures: sitting quietly for five minutes before you walk in the front door, doing deep breathing while you are in the car, or housework. Listening to music while you do daily chores or tasks can be uplifting and improve your mood. Once these small steps become a habit you can try to increase the time you spend taking care of yourself. If you just cannot find a way, you may want to consider changing your caregiving situation; getting some assistance from family, professionals, or friends; or talking to a counselor. |
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