Oftentimes, a care-giver to the ill, bedridden or elderly may find their role both physically and emotionally overwhelming. While taking care of the many needs of their patient, they forget to cater to their own needs. Sadly, this can lead to the care-giver becoming exhausted, depressed, neglecting their health, feeling unable to cope and becoming ill themselves. If you’re a care-giver, take note of these 9 essential tips to beating care-giver’s stress.

1.Never forget your own health
Just as your patient needs to have their mind, body and spirit nurtured – so do you. Make it a priority to eat well, exercise and get eight hours of sleep. Being a run-down care-giver will not be beneficial to yourself or your patient.

2.Give yourself respite time
Make use of respite services in your community or enlist a friend or relative to give you regular breaks from your care-giving which can sometimes be an around-the-clock role. Use your breaks to do things you enjoy like spending time with your family, relaxing or enjoying a night out with friends.

3.Seek support from other care-givers
Find other care-givers like yourself. You can do this through support groups or through online resources. Speaking to other care-givers who understand your experiences can be valuable and it might also give you a chance to pick up tips or useful advice.

4.Learn good ways to cope with stress
Learn meditation or deep breathing exercises, start an exercise routine or learn how to think positively and banish negative thoughts. These simple methods could make a big difference in how you feel each day.

5.Recognize your successes
Don’t forget to acknowledge your successes each day – e.g., making your patient smile or receiving their thanks for something you do. However small the successes, know the value of your role as a care-giver and the difference you are making. Accept the things you cannot change.

6.Get informed
It may seem like a chore, but finding out as much as you can about your patient’s condition or illness could actually lighten your load and help you feel more in control when caring for them. Speak to their health adviser and care team and use books or online resources to gain information and advice that will help you with your care-giving.

7.Eliminate negative habits
When a person feels stressed, it’s easy to engage in negative habits such as over-eating, drinking alcohol, withdrawing from people or neglecting your diet. If you know you are prone to any of these or other negative habits, make a determined effort not to engage in them – remember they will only make you feel worse.

8.Get things off your chest
Try not to bottle up your emotions related to your care-giving. Speak to someone you can trust about how you are feeling. Acknowledging feelings of frustration, sadness, anger, resentment, etc, will be the first step towards dealing with them. Seek professional help if your stress becomes too overwhelming.

9.Look for opportunities to lighten your load
Accept help when offered to you and make use of community resources created to help care-givers. Also, invest in practical aids that can make your care-giving role easier, as well as making your patient feel more comfortable. These include grooming, hygiene and bathing aids and products such as a low air loss mattress which prevents distressing bedsores for the bedridden.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Pressure Mattress website as the original source).

Being a care-giver to a loved-one can be a challenging and difficult task if you’re unprepared for the physical and emotional demands it can make on you. On the other hand, it can also be a very rewarding role – especially if you have some good guidelines to help you be the best care-giver you can be. Here are 6 essential rules that will help you on your way:

1.Take pride in your role
Before you become a care-giver, define the reasons you have chosen to become one, e.g., you might feel you’re able to offer your loved-one better care than they might receive from an institution or you may believe you can help your loved-one’s healing process. Whatever the reasons, recognize how important a nurturing, understanding and loving care-giver is to a patient. Know the value of your role and don’t lose sight of the reasons why you became a care-giver – this will help you receive more satisfaction from what you do.

2.Don’t help too much
Sometimes, it’s unhealthy to do too much for your loved-one. Most patients would rather be in a position where they can help themselves. Establish which tasks your loved-one might be happier doing on their own, e.g., brushing their hair or choosing what to wear. Allow them to have a say in how they are cared for, too – ask their opinion and allow them to be part of your decision-making process. Respect your loved-one’s dignity and treat them how you might want to be treated if the roles were reversed.

3.Resources
Make the most of resources in your community which may help you have a much-needed break at times, but could also make your job much easier. These resources could include respite care, hospice programs, adult day-centers and nurse assistants. You can also make use of support groups for care-givers to ensure you have good emotional support yourself. These can be found online or locally.

4.Care for yourself
The best care-giver is one who is healthy, happy and physically able to provide the care needed. It’s easy for care-givers to neglect their own needs and become depressed, run-down and ill themselves. Make time for yourself – for the things you enjoy  – like spending time with friends or going to a movie. Also, never neglect your own health – having regular and balanced meals and exercising regularly will help you stay in good physical condition and help you beat stress, too.

5.Learn as much as you can
Take the time to talk to your loved-one’s health care adviser about their condition or illness. Ask them questions if there is anything you are unsure about or don’t understand. Also, use the library or online resources to research and understand more. This will help you anticipate your loved-one’s medical needs and the best ways to encourage healing or provide comfort.

6.Enlist as much practical support as you can get
If a family member or friend asks if they can lend you a hand, don’t be afraid to say yes. Care-giving is a demanding role and it’s good to accept all the help you can get. Also, find out about practical aids that can make your daily tasks easier and support the comfort of your loved-one. These include toileting, bathing and dressing aids and also products such as an alternating pressure mattress that prevents bedsores for the bedridden.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Pressure Mattress website as the original source).