Taking care of yourself
As a caregiver, you may find yourself feeling a lot of uncomfortable feelings, like resentment, boredom, helplessness, anger, sadness and guilt. It's very important that you find someone you can talk with about your feelings. All feelings are legitimate, but it can be harder to deal with those that feel less than noble. Having someone else to talk with can make the difference between handling the load and buckling under it. The person you talk with may be another family member, or another caregiver or other friend.
Keep your balance. Juggling the work of caregiving, other family's needs, and time for yourself can be a challenge. It helps to figure out what your priorities are, for the day, for the week, and turn to other people for help with some tasks.
Carve out time for yourself, even if some days it's just half an hour. Get away from caregiving to go to a movie, have lunch with a friend, or just sit and read a book. Remember that in hospitals and nursing homes caregivers get breaks, lunch hours, and their shift is a defined number of hours. For your loved one's well being and your own, you need to insist on proper care for the caregiver.
Join a caregiver support group: Check online (see the "Resources for Caregivers" section), or the newspaper or local library to locate one in your area. Other caregivers will understand what you're going through better than anyone else. They're likely to notice your high stress and burnout before you do, and talk to you about what you need to do. People in support groups say it's made a huge difference in how they manage stress, locate resources, and reduce their sense of isolation.
Talking to a professional: Clergy, social workers, psychologists, and nurses often trained to provide counseling on caregiving issues. Talking with a professional doesn't mean you're weak, or mentally ill. It means you recognize the size of the job you're facing, and looking for support. If you have an employee assistance program through your work, you may want to check with them for referrals.
If respite care services are available in your community, use them. Respite care is a service that provides temporary care for an older or disabled person or one with a terminal illness. A respite caregiver may help you with a specific task or provide care for your relative, either at home or in an extended care facility, while you have some time off.