| Caregiving is a twenty-four hour a day job. Those | | | | very hard task and deserve some quality time |
| who decide to take on this enormous | | | | once in a while--just for you. Remember to love, |
| responsibility of providing care for loved ones | | | | value, and honor yourself. Because of the strain |
| often experience physical and emotional stress. | | | | and burnout often associated with caregiving, the |
| Not only that, but sleep deprivation often causes | | | | healthy caregiver may experience deteriorating |
| fatigue and illness to caregivers. This article offers | | | | health due to the demands of caring for someone. |
| practical advice for family caregivers on how they | | | | 3. Keep an eye out for signs of depression in |
| can remain in control of their own lives while | | | | yourself, and do not put off getting help when |
| providing home care. | | | | you need it. This is an important part of being in |
| First, what is a caregiver? A caregiver is anyone | | | | control of your life and being good to yourself |
| who provides intensive, personal help to another | | | | while you provide care. |
| person in need, usually a family member. The | | | | 4. Gain as much information as possible about |
| person being cared for often has a condition such | | | | your loved one's condition. The information you |
| as cancer, dementia, or brain injury. Because of | | | | receive from pamphlets, professional Web sites, |
| their recipient's debilitated condition, caregivers help | | | | and informational books will empower you to do |
| with many aspects of life, such as grocery | | | | your very best and fight off discouragement. |
| shopping, house cleaning, cooking, paying bills, | | | | 5. Do not be afraid to look into technologies that |
| giving medicine, bathing, using the toilet, dressing, | | | | promote your loved one's independence. You don't |
| and eating. | | | | have to do everything, and sometimes just caring |
| Because of the time-intensive nature of such | | | | is not enough to make your loved one feel stable. |
| activities, many caregivers suffer from burnout | | | | 6. If someone offers to help you, always accept |
| and extreme stress. Here are a few tips that will | | | | the offer. This will go a long way in decreasing |
| help family caregivers cope with their role in their | | | | risk of feeling overloaded and burned out. To get |
| loved one's life. | | | | the most of the offer, suggest specific things the |
| 1. Choose to be in control of your own life. Don't | | | | person can do and let them do it. |
| let your loved one's illness or disability always | | | | 7. Seek out the support of other caregivers. You |
| become the primary focus of every aspect of | | | | are not alone in this challenge, and many great |
| your life. You play an important role, but it is not | | | | groups exist where you can share your feelings, |
| the only one. The care you provide will be better | | | | get insights and new ideas, and just know that |
| if you take charge from the beginning. | | | | you have someone supporting you. |
| 2. Be good to yourself. You are committing to a | | | | |