Coping With Stress
By Kerstin YoderJune 25, 2020
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Articles
Managing Caregiver Stress
Though caregiving may bring us many positive opportunities to spend time with and provide support for a loved one, we may also regularly encounter stressful situations and struggle to find that elusive work-life balance. In fact, research shows that being a caregiver is “among the most stressful, emotionally burdensome and physically demanding roles a person can take on.” At times, the uplifting feelings of helping someone may ease the energy-draining emotions of caregiving. But caring for someone with a chronic illness can impact all aspects of life, from medical and physical health to financial and relational well-being.
Articles
Coping with Challenges as Sandwich Generation Caregivers
Sandwich generation caregivers manage multiple responsibilities, including work, childcare, household duties and care tasks for their parents, in-laws or other aging relatives. The COVID-19 pandemic has made these responsibilities far more challenging, as we may be dealing with work, teaching our children at home and managing household duties. At the same time, we may also be doing more distant caregiving due to social distancing recommendations if our loved ones don’t live in the same household, and especially if their immune system is compromised.
Articles
Coping with an Older Loved One’s Sleep Issues
While chronic health conditions and medication interactions may also affect the sleep patterns of older adults, living under the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic has further added to these challenges. Activities and finances have been disrupted, isolation has made people feel depressed, many are less physically and mentally active, fears around health and contact with others dominate public thinking and uncertainty has filled every aspect of daily living.
Articles
Understanding and Coping with Ambiguous Grief as a Caregiver
Loss is not an unfamiliar concept, as we all experience it in some form through relationships with people and changes in our health. Grief is described as a process that we go through to cope with, move through and move on from a significant loss. However, there is a type of loss and grief that caregivers experience that has its own unique properties.
Articles
Reducing the Stress of a Transition to Assisted Living
The decision to move a loved one to assisted living can be one of the hardest a caregiver can make. However, if we are caring for a loved one with a chronic disease, particularly Alzheimer’s Disease or another form of dementia, it may become necessary to consider assisted living placement if we lack the time, resources or support to continue caring for a loved one at home. Shifting a loved one’s care to an assisted living facility may seem as if it will relieve many of the stresses of caregiving such as anxiety, depression or feeling overburdened. However, studies show that assisted living placement can instead change the type of stressors a caregiver experiences rather than eliminate them.
Articles
Coping Strategies for Caregivers After the Death of a Loved One
Everyone grieves in their own way after the death of a loved one. There is no normal timeline for grief. We may feel sadness, frustration, guilt or even failure and anger. We may want to be loud or quiet; alone or surrounded by community. We may experience insomnia, loss of appetite or even have difficulty breathing. There are a lot of normal reactions to grief, both physically and mentally. We should give ourselves permission to express our grief however we are feeling it, whenever we are feeling it. Grief is messy, but as we navigate the grief of losing a loved one, it is important to connect with resources that can help us through this time.
Articles
How Caregiver Support Can Combat Rising Stress Levels
We all know that caregiving for a loved one can be stressful, but it seems that caregivers may be feeling the strain more than ever before. Nearly two-thirds of family and friend caregivers consider their situation to be moderately-to-highly stressful, according to the recently released Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 report from National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.
Articles
Tips for Better Communication with a Loved One with Dementia
As caregivers, we may find ourselves struggling to communicate with a loved one in the way we used to. It may be difficult to understand what a loved one is trying to say, and in the busyness of everyday life, we may find ourselves growing frustrated and impatient. However, these kinds of feelings may in turn affect a loved one, leading to a communication breakdown and potential relationship strain. To avoid this, it’s important to foster good listening skills, patience and respect.