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5 Tips For Caregivers

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Have you found yourself in charge of the care of another? Are you confused by the million new responsibilities and worries and stresses? You are not alone. There are books, magazines and blogs a plenty on the topic of caregivers so this will be a short list of things caregivers should do for themselves. Bottom line first; it isn’t selfish to take time for yourself, if you are not at your best you can’t give good care and there are people counting on you.

Tips for Caregivers

Tips for Caregivers

  1. Take time every day for yourself. When your charge is safe and occupied take 15 minutes to leave. Depending on your situation you might not be able to go far but if you can walk around the block or sit at the kitchen table with your book find 15 minutes for yourself. During that time do something purely enjoyable. For once don’t multitask. If you need to set a timer do it so for 15 minutes you can zone out.
  2. Get out of the house daily. Even the most gorgeous home becomes oppressive if you never leave. You do not need to have all day marathons of activity but do one thing outside of the house a day. It might be daunting to take your charge out daily but if it is physically possible it is good for you both. Visit the Library or grocery shop or go to do a social club.
  3. Sleep, eat, exercise. Might seem simple advice but if you are working as well as care giving you might not be using sleeping time to cram in more work time. You know how much sleep you need. An occasional late night is no problem but if you are waking up many times a night to give care consider getting help for the ‘night shift’. Eating and exercising may also slip if you are rushing around with responsibilities. Try to plan healthy fast meals for yourself and carry some nutritious snacks so you don’t fall for junk because you are hungry. Sneak in exercise like lunges while on the phone of park farther away or choose the stairs.
  4. Get help when you need it. Help is a very broad term. You might need help with the physical work of caregiving. You might need advice on what to expect medically and how to handle things since you are probably not trained for this. You may need help with the housework or cooking. Look for resources and don’t be afraid to reach out.
  5. Keep your social life. Just like getting married or having a baby, becoming a caregiver is one of those times people disappear from friendships. Make time to see your friends and fill in the gaps with phone calls or facebook. It is important to have people to talk to about your problems and also to just talk to about anything at all (distracting you from problems). Be open to new friendships with people around you. Chat in hospital waiting areas (for example), you never know where you may find a friend.

These five tips will help any caregiver keep a sense of self. You do not want to dread and resent the situation, or even worse the person, and that is far too easy if you let yourself become too run down and exhausted. Being a caregiver can be very rewarding, look at all the good you do, but remember to take care of you too.


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