Importance of Self Care for Family Caregivers

CLEVELAND - November is National Family Caregivers Month. 

Being a caregiver for a loved one with medical issues or who is aging can be stressful, especially since it’s a 24/7 job that often goes unpaid. 

“In the US, we have 53 million unpaid caregivers that are providing over 36 billion hours of unpaid care. And so, they face a whole host of issues related to how they’re able to care for their loved one, how they’re able to care for themselves,” said Taylor Rush, PhD, health psychologist at Cleveland Clinic. 

Dr. Rush said many times family caregivers will put their needs last, which can leave them feeling depressed, anxious and exhausted. 

That’s why self-care is crucial.

It gives the caregiver a chance to reset, so they are the best version of themselves for the person they’re caring for. 

She adds that self-care doesn’t have to be anything extravagant.

Simple things like meditating or practicing deep breathing can be helpful. 

They could also ask a friend or relative to watch their loved one so they can catch up on sleep or go read a book at a coffee shop. 

“Caregivers think that asking for help means they’re not doing their job, they’re not enough, and there is this associated feeling of guilt. What we know from the most successful care stories is that it takes a village. And it really comes back to that,” said. Dr. Rush. “And so, who is your village? Sometimes those are individuals that are already in your life, sometimes that may be individuals that you employ, but how can you create a village even in some small ways to make sure that the care is not just you because that usually ends up being an unsustainable circumstance.”

As we enter the holiday season, Dr. Rush said to consider helping a family caregiver in your life 

You could offer to do chores or run errands for them. 

Another option is to buy them a gift card for a food delivery service, then they won’t have to worry about cooking.