Adapted from Episode 4 of The Caregiven Podcast
Many families struggle with finding the right moment to engage an in-home care agency with their loved one. This decision is often very difficult, especially when you are the primary caregiver. Many families begin providing care for their loved ones, but as their conditions progress, they may lack the technical skill to adequately care for their loved ones. Others face burnout from their overcommitment to providing care, all the while neglecting to fulfill their own physical, emotional, and mental needs.
This week we want to address the question, “when do I ask for help?”
caregiver burnout
The first sign that you might need extra help is burnout. Burnout can manifest in many ways. Irritability, reclusion, fatigue, insomnia, weight gain or weight loss, and others may also be signs of burnout. It’s important to know how your body reacts to prolonged stress to be able to identify signs of burnout within yourself. You should also seek to recognize these signs in your loved ones if you aren’t the primary caregiver. Oftentimes we can spend 100% of our energy worrying about the one getting care, while overlooking the one giving it.
If you feel like you’re experiencing burnout, it might be a good time to learn about your options for in-home care. Many agencies provide respite care, which allows a primary caregiver the opportunity to get some caregiving relief to revisit and fulfill their own personal needs. This often looks like a caregiver coming into the home for few hours so the individual can take a shower, clean up their living space, or get out of the house, to name a few examples. This can be the boost some need to fight off the burnout they’re experiencing.
higher skills needed
Another sign is that your loved one’s needs are beginning to exceed your caregiving abilities. This isn’t something to be ashamed of by any means. In many cases, spouses who have cared for their loved one over time lose the physical strength to perform lifts from beds to wheelchairs for immobile individuals, for example. This can pose a great risk to the caretaker and can often make situations worse if they are untrained or unable to perform the task at hand. It’s important to find the tasks that you are good at, and let the professional caregivers handle ones they’ve specifically been trained on.
geographic distance
Some families are in a situation where they don’t live with or near their loved one. Whether it’s 30 minutes or across the country, sometimes it isn’t possible for families to serve as the primary caregiver. This is one of the most common reasons one might enlist the help of an in-home care agency. This allows your loved one the best care without the burden of moving closer or long commutes that can become a financial burden.
unable to replace current income
Another situation we encounter is one’s inability to leave their job to care for their loved one. We covered this topic in depth a few weeks ago. There is no shame in needing professional help so you can continue your career. This is a normal reason to bring in an agency for care.
There is no shortage of additional signs that it’s time to bring in professional caregivers, but these are some of the common signs we encounter daily. It’s important to maintain eyes on the situation as it is progressing, and if these signs are becoming more prevalent.