Mental health plays a vital role in the health of senior citizens, as any senior care specialist can tell you. According to research by the University of Missouri, there are about 34 million family members currently acting as family caregiver, and nearly one quarter of them suffered from moderate to severe depression, and about a third of them had moderate to severe anxiety. Because of the huge numbers of people that act as family caregivers, the stress of seeing a family member experiencing a decline in health, and because the majority of these people do not have professional training as a caregiver, it is a safe assumption that many of those that experience these mental health issues while acting as family caregivers experience issues because of their time spent as a caregiver.
The researchers behind this study recommend that medical professionals treat families as a whole, rather than just the person receiving senior care. For those that are acting in a caregiving capacity, there should be a focus placed upon mental health and the prevention of problems. Early depression screening may be of help with this.
Whatever is done, it is important to remember that caregivers have needs, too. While acting as a family caregiver is very admirable, it is also very difficult. Caregiving is stressful, it’s physically demanding, exhausting, and emotionally draining. This is true even for those caregivers that really want to give their loved one the very best that they can. The problem is that there’s a fine line between intentions and reality. Even if you truly want to be the best caregiver you can for your mom or dad, there comes a point where your inability to keep up with the demands and the stress placed upon you inhibits your ability to provide high quality care. This doesn’t happen to all caregivers, but it does happen to many. And if it happens to you, then your parent ends up getting a lesser quality of care.
How can you avoid this? First, you should be honest and aware of your own health, both physical and mental. Get your regular checkups with the same sense of dedication that you have when it comes to making sure that your parent is getting their checkups, too. If you need assistance helping care for your mom or dad, be sure that you get this help. The quality of their care is very important, and if you find that you are not able to give them the best care possible for whatever reason, you will need to find another way to give them the best. Have other family members take a share of the burden if possible. Or, it you can, find a respite caregiver to help relieve some of your workload. A professional caregiver has all of the training needed to give your parent the best, but if you are intent on continuing as a caregiver for your family member, then a respite caregiver can provide that high quality care that your family deserves while you take a few days of break time for yourself. You can come back rested and refreshed and take over.
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