The Importance of Respite for Caregivers

If you are a family caregiver, you may need to be reminded of the importance of taking time for yourself.  We understand that while caring for an aging parent or relative is a labor of love, it is still labor. Very often caregivers can neglect their own needs while they spend more and more of their time caring for a loved one.

As a caregiver, you do not want to get to the point of complete burnout.  If you find yourself giving up favorite hobbies and vacations, saying no to friends, feeling distracted at work and getting more stressed with your spouse and children, you may already be experiencing caregiver stress.  Signs of caregiver stress include feelings of anxiety, depression and irritability, difficulty sleeping, always feeling tired and run down, trouble concentrating and overreacting to small day-to-day problems.  Many times stressed out caregivers find themselves drinking, smoking or eating more than they should while at the same time cutting out the leisure activities that used to bring them joy.  It is estimated that 46 percent to 59 percent of caregivers suffer from clinical depression. 

Neglecting your own good health habits is not good for you or your family.  You need to ask yourself: “What good will I be to the person I care for if I become ill?”   As a caregiver, it is critical for you to take good care of yourself—even while you are taking care of your aging loved one.  This is where a professional in home care provider can help by offering quality respite care while you get a well needed break.  SYNERGY HomeCare provides Colorado with a wide range of compassionate and experienced non-medical home care services.  Please contact us to learn more about how we can help your family.  

We provide the most trusted non-medical in home care solutions.  SYNERGY’s mission is to ensure that every client is treated with the upmost respect and dignity, and we incorporate those beliefs into all of our home health care services. Please contact us for more information or a complimentary in-home assessment.