Caregiver stress is very easily acquired, especially in family members. It isn’t that the caregiving itself is so hard – it is the day-to-dayness of it and the constant worry. The caregiver is watching his/her loved one deteriorate. This deterioration becomes a worry and burden, almost like having fifty pounds of weight on one’s shoulders. One worries about what is going to happen and how it will happen.
For example, my mother had emphysema. I was worried about her being in pain or suffocating as she neared the end of her life. These types of worries are why Hospice is so important. Hospice can alleviate the stress of caregiving. Medication combinations are very available to control pain and to make breathlessness calm down. No patient should be in pain these days. Hospice supports the family (if the family will accept their help) during the caregiving process and afterward.
Ask for support – go to caregiving support groups or support groups that can help the caregiver deal with a specific disease, like Alzheimers, Diabetes, Lung Disease, Cancer, etc. Ask the family to take turns relieving the main caregiver to give them a chance to get out of the house or to be on their own for a few hours. Find a close friend that you can talk to. Many times, all the caregiver needs is someone to talk to, someone who can be the peacemaker in the family and who can reassure the caregiver that he/she is needed and is doing the right thing.
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