Caregiver Stress
Why Is it So Difficult to Get a Handle on Anticipatory Grief?
Grief in all of its forms is really difficult to cope with and to manage, but the most difficult form might be anticipatory grief. With this form of grief, your senior hasn’t passed away yet, so caregiving is still ongoing. Your elderly family member may be in ill health or she may be in a…
Read MoreFour Tips for Rekindling Your Social Life as a Caregiver
Most caregivers wind up with a dwindling social life at some point. That’s understandable, with everything that you have to do as a caregiver, but you can still have social interaction that doesn’t have anything to do with your caregiving duties. Reach out to Other People. Whether it’s in line at the grocery store or…
Read MoreCan You Really Find More Time for Yourself as a Caregiver?
When you first hear about taking time for yourself as a caregiver, you might have to fight off a bout of laughter. Time for you sounds great, but how is that going to happen? It can take some careful planning, but it’s definitely something you can do. Schedule Time for Yourself. What you schedule is…
Read MoreCould You Be Emotionally Overeating in Your Caregiver Experience?
April is Emotional Overeating Awareness Month. This is the ideal time for you as a family caregiver to learn more about emotional overeating, the impact that it can have on health and well-being, and how to detect if you might be using emotional overeating as a way to cope during your caregiver experience, or if…
Read MoreHow Do You Cope with Less Encouragement as a Caregiver?
Often caregivers find themselves in a situation in which they feel all alone and as if what they do doesn’t really matter. What you do definitely matters and it might be up to you to turn the tide on your own encouragement so that you feel those benefits. Remember Why You’re a Caregiver. Everyone has…
Read MoreWhat Can You Do if You’re on Your Own as a Caregiver?
So many caregivers are completely on their own. Either family members live too far away to participate in caregiving or it really is just you. Regardless, you have to make sure that you’ve got as many other options as you can so that you don’t burn yourself out. Make Sure You’ve Got a Way to…
Read MoreHow Does Caregiving Affect You as a Caregiver?
You might not realize it at first, but being a caregiver can change quite a bit about your life as you know it. If you’re not prepared for some of those changes, they can really take you by surprise. Knowing what to expect can help you to put solutions in place before you need them.…
Read MoreWhat Benefits Are You Likely to See from Online Support Groups as a Caregiver?
If you’ve been avoiding support groups because they just feel way too complicated, then online support groups might be a much better solution for you. These types of groups are easy for you to access, either from your computer or another device. They’re distinctive from in-person groups because they’re much more flexible. You Don’t Have…
Read MoreWhat Can You Do as a Caregiver to Help Focus on Your Own Needs?
Focusing on your own needs might not be so easy to do as a family caregiver, but it has to be done. If you don’t, you’ll quickly find that it’s impossible to be as effective a caregiver as you really want to be. Taking care of you enables you to take care of everyone that…
Read MoreCaring for an Aging Parent While Being a Parent Yourself
When you were a child, your mother was always there for you. If you fell down and scraped your knee, she bandaged you up. If you were hungry, she cooked you dinner. If you needed scolding for the dumb things we all do as children and teenagers, she was there to do it. But most…
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