| If so, you are part of one fourth of American | | | | Both aging parents and caregiver children lose |
| families who are caring for an older family | | | | independence and privacy. Even the most |
| member, an adult child with disabilities, or a friend. | | | | congenial relationships can suffer from these loses. |
| According to the AARP, you are one of more | | | | Here are some recommendations to help you |
| than 22.4 million Americans who are now | | | | take care of your own health: |
| caregivers to older adults, a number that has | | | | • Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. |
| tripled in the last 10 years alone. The average | | | | Avoid sugars, fats, and salt. Include plenty of |
| amount of time these Americans spend on | | | | fresh fruits and vegetables. Follow the guidelines |
| caregiving is about 20 hours per week with many | | | | of the government’s food pyramid for |
| of these hours spent in physically demanding | | | | proper amounts and food types to include in your |
| work. With the life spans raising over the past | | | | daily menu. Take a good multivitamin for extra |
| century from 49 -77, some children are actually | | | | protection. |
| caring for invalid parents 20 years, longer than the | | | | • Get plenty of rest and sleep, even if you |
| parents spent raising them. | | | | have to enlist help to care for your parents while |
| I would like to ask you a question? How is your | | | | you rest. Spend some time unwinding and relaxing |
| own personal health? One third of caregivers | | | | during the day as well. |
| describe their personal health as fair to poor, and | | | | • Get regular, healthy exercise at least three |
| many worry that they won’t outlive the | | | | days a week. Regular exercise not only reduces |
| person for whom they are caring. As you and | | | | stress and improves health, but also produces |
| other caregivers struggle to balance caregiving | | | | endorphins, which add to a good feeling mood. |
| with other responsibilities, including full-time jobs | | | | • Keep your own health care up to date, |
| and caring for children, constant stress can lead to | | | | including yearly checkups. If you experience |
| "burnout" and health problems. You may feel | | | | negative feelings, get counseling from doctor or |
| guilty, frustrated, and angry from time to time, | | | | therapist, or share your feelings with good friends. |
| suffer from depression, and become ill easily | | | | • Speaking of friends, keep your social life |
| yourself. Caring for even the most beloved | | | | active in order to stay connected with your |
| parents can seem like a burden when your own | | | | community and to give an outlet for stress. Seek |
| health collapses from endless hours of caring for | | | | comfort and support in your faith-based group as |
| their needs. | | | | well. |
| For example, caring for a parent with Alzheimer's | | | | • Remember you are not alone. Seek support |
| disease (AD) or other kinds of dementia at home | | | | groups for caregivers, especially if you are caring |
| can be overwhelming. The caregiver must cope | | | | for a loved one with a disease. Look online for |
| with declining abilities and difficult behaviors that | | | | government or state supported groups and help |
| affect even basic activities of daily living and often | | | | departments. Find community support groups. |
| become hard to manage for both the care | | | | • Make arrangements for your own vacations |
| receiver and the caregiver. As the disease | | | | and retreats, for regrouping and refreshing |
| worsens, the care receiver usually needs 24-hour | | | | yourself, your spouse, and your own children. |
| care. | | | | Remember, you are not the only one affected by |
| In addition to the constant care required, | | | | your live-in parent situation. Your entire family |
| caregivers of parents with this type of problem | | | | experiences changes and stresses along with you. |
| also suffer from the emotional pain of losing | | | | Arrange for someone to stay with your parent |
| communication with parents who no longer | | | | and spend some time as a family away from |
| recognize them. To sustain this, and other types | | | | home and those extra responsibilities. |
| of prolonged stress and care, you need to call | | | | • Remind yourself of the care that your |
| upon other family members, friends, and | | | | parent lavished on you as a child and how you felt |
| neighbors for help. If other caregivers aren't | | | | about that parent then. Often, we get so busy |
| available to fill in, respite care services may be | | | | that we forget how much we really love our |
| available in the community to help you. Respite | | | | parents, especially in the throes of caring for |
| care can be a good way for you to get a break | | | | them. Try to revisit happier days with them and |
| (respite) from constant caregiving. | | | | remind both them and yourself of those times. |
| Some caregivers are still raising their own children | | | | Bring out family pictures and relive happy days |
| and feel torn between the needs of their children | | | | together. |
| and the needs of their parents. In fact, in this day | | | | If you are a caregiver, remember to care for |
| of small families, many Americans may have | | | | your own health as well as that of your loved |
| more parents than children. They also feel torn | | | | one. Seek comfort, help, time to refresh yourself, |
| between their own needs for work, vacations, | | | | and regular exercise to ensure that you will |
| privacy, hobbies, or friends and feelings of guilt, | | | | remain able to give that care and still maintain |
| resentment, or even depression or martyrdom. | | | | your personal wellness. |