Could You Be Suffering Depression in Your Care Experience with Your Parent?
Elder Care in Kentwood MI
Being a family caregiver for your elderly parent can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding roles that you take on in your life, but it can also be extremely stressful and challenging. As you take
on the demands of caring for your parent, you also face emotional and physical demands that can put a strain on your body and your mind. Experts estimate that between 40 and 70 percent of those adults who are family caregivers experience a significant amount of stress throughout their caregiver journey. This stress is not only damaging itself, but can also contribute to depression. This can put your own health and well-being at serious risk, but can also compromise your ability to give your parent the care that they need throughout their later years.
The first step in addressing your caregiver depression is determining if you are, in fact, facing such an issue. Being honest with yourself and your elderly parent enables you to take the steps forward that you need to in order to protect yourself and your senior. Some signs and symptoms of caregiver depression include:
- Feeling of emptiness
- Anxiety
- Persistent sadness, particularly when it is not precipitated by a specific event or cause
- Feeling guilty
- A sense of helplessness
- Feeling worthless or like they have no impact
- Loss of interest in the activities that you once enjoyed the most, including spending time with your partner or family
- Decreased energy
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Persistent headaches
- Loss of appetite, which may include sudden weight loss
- Increased appetite or compulsion to overeat, which may include sudden weight gain
- Feeling achy or experiencing pain throughout the body that is not related to any condition or issue
- Not being able to sleep
- Sleeping too much or always wanting to sleep
If you have been experiencing symptoms that might indicate that you are suffering from depression in your caregiver journey, it is important to get the treatment and support you need as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor about possible treatment and management options, and seek out a support group designed for caregivers that will give you a place to express yourself, release your emotions, and get support and advice from those who have gone through many of the same things that you have.
If you have been suffering from depression in your caregiver journey with your elderly loved one, now is the ideal time for you to consider starting elder care for them. The highly personalized services of an elderly home care services provider can offer true benefits not just to your senior, but also to you as their family caregiver. By taking advantage of these benefits your aging parent can enjoy a higher quality of life as they age in place. This care provider can evaluate your aging loved one’s individual needs, challenges, and limitations, but also their personality, thoughts, beliefs, goals, and lifestyle to ensure that the care, support, and assistance that they give is tailored to what they desire and deserve. As their caregiver, this can provide you a tremendous amount of relief. Even if you are unable to fulfill all of your parent’s needs, you know that they are getting everything that they need. This allows you to not only feel better about your caregiver role, but also focus more on your own health and well-being as you move forward.
If you or someone you know needs help with elder care in Kentwood, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/palliative-care/features/caregiver-care-managing-stress-depression
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