10 Ways to Deal With Caregiver Stress

Care-giving for a loved one can simultaneously be one of the most rewarding and most stressful periods of a person's life. All too often, caregivers neglect their own needs, and this leads to burnout and an inability to continue effective care giving. Below are ten vital tips for caregivers to continue looking after both themselves and their loved ones.

1. Get enough sleep. Fatigue leads to depression and poor decision making; a good night's sleep can make an enormous difference in the body's ability to cope with stress.

2. Eat regular, nutritious meals. Like sleep, the role of eating right cannot be underestimated. Cooking bulk meals and buying healthy snacks makes this easier.

3. Get some exercise. This doesn't have to mean leaving for long runs or gym sessions; DVDs or home exercise equipment can give caregivers the opportunity to be active without going far from their charges.

4. Talk to others. Too many caregivers keep their stress bottled up. Trusted friends outside of the family can be good listeners.

5. Avoid negative self-talk and guilt. Caregivers have a tendency to feel that nothing they do is enough. Most likely, though, caregivers are doing the best they can.

6. Acknowledge frustration and other negative feelings. It's possible to avoid negativity as suggested above without bottling up negative feelings. The key is to avoid wallowing in or acting on those feelings.

7. Explore meditation and prayer. Mental health can be greatly improved by spending just a few minutes per day in either of these activities, and they can be tailored to fit the caregiver's belief system.

8. Ask for help. Too often, caregiving within a family falls mainly to one person. Caregivers should not hesitate to ask others for assistance.

9. Take breaks. Many caregivers feel they cannot take even short breaks to themselves, but it's important to have a few hours off here and there from constant caregiving.

10. Look into outside services. There are both community and private resources that provide activities and other services for elderly and others in need of care.

Visiting Angels is a home care agency that can provide many services from shopping assistance and meal preparation to weekend, live-in and longterm care. Caregivers who call on Visiting Angels will find a number of options that allow their loved ones to continue receiving the best care possible while taking steps to look after themselves as well.

How to Pick an Agency for In-Home Senior Care

When a loved one needs healthcare due to old age or disability, home care is often preferred over nursing homes or other facilities. The right home care agency can provide 24-hour monitoring, feeding, drug administration, flexibility and more. Here's a guide to choosing a dependable agency for in-home care.

Speak with Management

Look into agencies to see how they hire and manage their caregivers. How do they screen job applicants? Do they insure all workers and offer worker's compensation in case their caregivers are injured on your property? Also find out whether an agency's caregivers are permanent employees or contract workers. In many cases, employees offer more support and a higher level of care to patients.

Analyze Services

Caregivers perform different types of services, so it's important to choose an agency that offers the services you need. In addition to managers, speak with employees to find out what skills they have. Make sure that they are compatible with yourself and the patient for the comfort of everyone.

Verify Licenses and Reputation

Home care often involves professional medical procedures that should only be performed by professionals. Before hiring an agency, verify that their caregivers are licensed and accredited according to the laws in your area. In addition, look at online reviews and speak with others in your area to confirm that the agency is reputable.

Look for Training

Although educational programs teach caregivers many important skills, agencies often train their caregivers to perform tasks to their own specifications. Combined with regular testing, this may ensure that the agency's caregivers offer a consistently high level of service.

Discuss Emergency Procedures

Emergencies may arise during home care, making contingency training essential for caregivers. If your regular caregiver is ever unable to work for any reason, will the agency be able to provide a replacement? By looking into this before you hire an agency, you'll be less likely to be faced with finding another agency on a moment's notice.

Ask About Background Checks

You should be able to trust any caregiver in your home. If you stick to agencies that require references and background checks for their personnel, you'll be more likely to end up with a caregiver you can count on.

Looking into home care agencies with the above considerations in mind will better ensure that you are satisfied with the caregiver who works in your home.