Eight Tips for Avoiding Eldercare Burnout

The biggest risk to your parent continuing to live at home is caregiver burnout. Using the eight tips to avoid it can prevent heartache, headache and preserve your health. It will help you to learn why most of us put self care on the back burner.

I know the principles of self care and tips to avoid burnout but ignored the warning signs until I had a crisis. My moment of truth came after spending five days in the hospital as a cardiac patient. I became ill during an intense visit with my mother. On the very day I was admitted to the hospital, I took care of my mom until I had to ask my dad to take me to the hospital.

Burnout is the result of unrelenting mental and physical fatigue. Putting routines in place before you reach that level of exhaustion is better than arriving at burnout and trying to dig yourself out. Take the challenge and use the eight tips so that you avoid burnout and remain balanced and healthy. When you take care of yourself, you are taking care of your parent.

Eight tips to avoid eldercare burnout
1. Create a caregiving mission statement to clarify what you are trying to accomplish with and for your parent. Think through the meaning that caring for parents has for you. Connecting caregiving to your values supports you during tough times.

2. Set limits on your caregiving. Work to identity what you can reasonably do to help your parent. Be sure to get feedback and advice on setting reasonable limits from someone you trust. It's easy to set the bar too high for yourself. Watch for ever increasing caregiving responsibilities and regularly re-evaluate your responsibilities.

3. Don't take care of your parent all by yourself. Build a team of helpers, family, friends and paid caregivers. Accustom your parent from the very beginning to the idea that you are not their only helper.

4. Schedule self care and breaks from caregiving just like you schedule your parent's doctor appointments and your child's birthday party. If you don't schedule self care routines, they most likely will not happen. Choose to put yourself first. I know this is the opposite of your instincts but you are irreplaceable. Think of yourself as the engine of a car. Without regular maintenance, the car breaks down.

5. Take a real break from caregiving on a regular basis by letting someone else take charge. You need a physical and mental break from your responsibilities. It could be a day, an hour, a couple of days or a whole holiday away. Get completely away from your responsibilities.

6. Join a support group. Knowing you are not alone in the challenges you face is powerful. Your support group can be a great source of advice and allow you to share what you have learned with newer caregivers.

7. Be physically active. Now more than ever you need the stress relief, wellness and stamina that exercise provides. Get your endorphins pumping with a daily walk or other exercise.

8. Gather your parent's documents and important papers and keep them organized. Prevent the stress of trying to find something vital during a crisis. Create a binder to store all your parent's records related to their care. Be sure to have a daily planner to track appointments. Create a to-do list. Store their health care directive, list of prescription drugs and medical history in the binder. Keep copies of their insurance and Medicare cards. Include some blank paper for making notes when your parent visits the doctor.