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| Image description: A teal background with text in the centre reading "Signs of caregiver burnout". Six circles surround the text, each with an indicator of burnout. Frequent illness, sleep changes, social withdrawal, irritability, exhaustion, apathy. |
In our last post, we discussed caregiver joy. Despite all of the positives, there are still significant stresses that come with being a family caregiver. As Dr. Parmar discussed in her talk last week, caregiving on its own is not the cause of stress and burnout. Instead, the load and length of care cause stress. If a caregiver has access to appropriate supports, respite care, and knowledge to manage the care needs of their loved one along with their own needs the incidence of caregiver stress and burnout is drastically reduced. Yet, around 20% of caregivers in Canada experience burnout, and countless others experience varying degrees of stress. This number is even higher for dementia care at nearly 40% experiencing burnout!
At this point, you may be wondering what makes burnout different from stress. Consider any other form of labour. When completing a large project at work or school, you are likely to feel stress. However, if you have a reasonable deadline, the project is within your skillset, and you can leave that project at work then your stress levels will likely remain fairly low. If instead the project has unclear instructions, is due tomorrow, and requires that you learn a new skill then stress levels will likely be high. If you receive these projects every day, burnout begins. More than the typical indicators of stress that everyone feels at some point in their life, burnout is pure physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. Changes in behaviour occur and physical and mental wellbeing decrease.
Caregiver burnout is a public health issue and can be addressed through changes to our healthcare system, available supports for caregivers, and community action. In addition to advocating for the necessary changes to our systems, we can directly support caregivers in our lives. The best supports come down to three actions: listen, give time, and support wellbeing. First and foremost, listen as you would with any other friend. This action may seem small, yet it can have a significant impact. Really listening to caregivers can help in the other acts of support, too.
Giving time may take the form of creating space for your friend to have relaxing downtime, by helping to arrange trustworthy respite care and creating space for personal or recreational time. This is the part where that listening comes back in! Some people may be missing spending time with others and need connection or activity, while others may need time fully to themselves. Time may also mean donating a bit of your time! Providing meals, running errands, or taking time in your day to check-in are practical ways to help with just a little bit of time. These actions also all help to support the wellbeing of the caregiver. Nutrition and mental well-being supports can help to provide a barrier to experiencing burnout.
On the other side - what can I do if I am experiencing burnout?
1) Make your =health a priority - consider where your physical or mental health might be suffering and consider how they can be better supported.
2) Take a break - Find respite care (e.g. local agencies, family, friends, or a support group are places to start) and use this time to rest, exercise, or take other actions that will improve your physical or mental health.
3) Outsource - If you are experiencing burnout, then your load is likely too high. Consider options for reducing your workload, such as meal delivery services, adult daycare, or cleaning services. Local organizations, family, or friends, and paid services may be available to provide these services.
4) Talk it out - Join a support group, access a counsellor, or talk to a trusted friend. All of these actions can help to support your mental wellbeing.
5) Work with your loved one's care team - Discuss your needs with the care team. In addition to providing the best treatment for your loved one, their care team will help to find solutions to these needs.
For more information on caregiver advocacy visit Carers Canada.
For more information on caregiver supports in Camrose visit CMHA Camrose
Sources Consulted
https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-caregiver-stress/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9225-caregiver-burnout