3 Ways to Avoid the Emotional Pitfalls of Family Caregiving

If You Are a Worn-Out Family Caregiver, We Can Help. Call (877) 959-9093 to Speak to a Member of Our Home Care Team in Texas.

Being a caregiver for a loved one is often highly demanding, even if you’re only doing it part-time. Whether you willingly volunteered to manage your family member’s health or became their caregiver by default, you will likely experience some unique attacks to your personal, emotional, and mental health during your time as a family caregiver. However, it is entirely possible to have a healthy inner life and be a terrific caretaker if you choose to do the following:

1. Set realistic expectations for yourself and your loved one. If you are consistently being dragged down by feelings of guilt and inadequacy, you may be holding yourself to an unfairly high standard. When caring for your loved one, remember that you are not superhuman, nor can you be expected to always understand or provide exactly what they need. Your guilt may also be fueled by the assumption that great care will bring your loved one back to their former state or somehow heal them of their illness. Without realizing it, many caregivers begin to hold themselves personally responsible for their family member’s decline, despite painstaking efforts to nurse them back to health. However, you can free yourself from unnecessary guilt by holding yourself to a fair standard and remembering that you cannot do it all, you cannot cure them, and you cannot always be a perfect caregiver.

2. Find healthy outlets to express your frustration. If it hasn’t already, being a family caregiver will almost undoubtedly create significant frustration at some point. (This is especially true if you are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia.) Many caregivers become isolated and choose to bottle up their negative feelings, worries, irritation, either out of guilt or for lack of opportunity. However, this will only lead to taking it out on the person you are caring for and hurting them. Nowadays, there are many resources available for family caregivers, such as support groups, which create opportunities to talk about caregiving challenges and process them in a safe space.

3. Reach out to people you trust. As much as you are able, it is important to seek the support of trusted confidants, family members, friends, and others in order to offset the emotional burden of being a caretaker. Even if you are caring for a sick child or an aging parent, it can be highly demanding, and having external support allows you to be more emotionally present and engaged when caring for your loved one.

Compassionate In-Home and Respite Care in Texas

We have served many families like yours and know exactly how challenging it can be to bear the responsibility of caregiving alone. If you are a family caretaker and you’re feeling burned-out, frustrated, or alone in your struggle, let At Home Healthcare join your caregiving team and take some of the weight off your shoulders. We provide both pediatric and geriatric home care for patients throughout the state of Texas, and our skilled team of nurses, therapists, and other home care specialists are prepared to help meet your loved one’s specific needs.

To get started or ask us a question, you can call (877) 959-9093 or click here to request care.