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Caregiver Resilience During a Time of Crisis

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happy senior woman making a heart shape with her hands

Learn caregiver tips to help you navigate a crisis.

Times of crisis can bring out the best as well as the worst in us. During the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve heard stories of people hoarding items and selling them to generate an outrageous profit, together with stories of people who selflessly met the needs of others despite their own fears.

The secret to weathering the storms, which are certain to show up within our lives, is resiliency. Mia Bartoletti, clinical psychologist for the Navy SEAL Foundation, works with families of people serving in the armed forces, and offers suggestions which will help build caregiver resilience through any time of crisis.

  1. Express your reactions. It’s common to experience various responses to a crisis: flashbacks to other very difficult situations, dreams and nightmares, withdrawal and avoidance, trouble with sleeping, irritability, issues with concentration and focus, and hypervigilance. What’s crucial is to make sure these reactions are temporary, and do not advance into longer-term psychological problems. Acknowledge your feelings, and share them with a trusted confidante, or write them in a journal.
  2. Maintain social connections. While your instinct might be to pull away from friends and relatives during a crisis, keeping in touch on a frequent basis with individuals you care about is vital. Finding a support group, whether in person or online, is yet another good way to ensure you’re building and preserving social ties, allowing you to speak with other individuals in the same circumstances.
  3. Take a moment for self-care. This means something different to each individual, but should include enjoyable activities, engaging interests and hobbies, nutritious meals, lots of sleep, and exercise. If you find it is hard to carve out time for yourself as a result of caregiving duties, Responsive Home Care is always available to partner with you to provide trustworthy respite care. Caring for yourself lets you take better care of those you love.
  4. Realize what you are able to control – and that which you cannot. Letting go of what’s out of your control and concentrating instead on what you CAN control is one of the foundations of resilience. Psychologist Mary Alvord, who founded Resilience Across Borders, explains, “Depression is hopelessness and helplessness, and so resilience is the opposite. No, you’re not helpless; you do have control over many aspects of your life.”

It’s always best to seek professional counseling in the event your reactions to stressful circumstances are impeding your ability to maintain a feeling of calm and to tend to the necessary day to day activities of living. And, watch for signs that senior family members are going through undue levels of stress so that you can obtain the help they need also.

Understand that regardless of what life may bring, you can rely on Responsive Home Care to walk beside you with trustworthy, professional aging care services that empower older adults to remain resilient and independent. Contact us at 954-486-6440 to learn more about home care assistance in Plantation, FL and throughout the surrounding areas.

How to Manage 5 Tough (But Normal) Emotions in Caregiving

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Sad woman being comforted by a friend

It is normal to have strong emotions in caregiving as you offer assistance to a senior loved one.

If you are feeling somewhat disheartened in your role as caregiver, take heart; you’re in good company. Providing homecare for a loved one is perhaps one of the most complex roles we can hold: highly gratifying on the one hand, while at the same time frustrating and ever-evolving, often bringing about feelings of doubt on whether we are up to the challenge and providing the most effective care.

It’s why a number of family members providing care grapple with some or all of these types of emotions in caregiving:

  • Guilt: You may feel as though you are not doing as much as you can to help your parent, that you’re self-centered for seeking time away to yourself, or that you are inadequate to provide the assistance a senior loved one needs.
  • Helplessness: There are a few circumstances when you simply can’t solve the issues your loved one is experiencing.
  • Anger or frustration: This could be directed at yourself, other family members who seem as if they are not doing their fair share, or even at your older parent for causing you to be in this situation.
  • Resentment: Particularly common when taking care of an individual who hurt or betrayed you in the past, it is easy for those feelings to resurface when that individual is now in your care.
  • Hopelessness: When a senior faces a difficult diagnosis for example, a chronic or terminal condition, feelings of despair can settle in, that could result in despondency or depression.

Recognizing these feelings, and accepting they are completely normal, is a good place to start. These tips can also help:

  • Share your emotions. Find a trustworthy friend, family member, or professional counselor to vent to, a person who can provide a different perspective and help you to shift your thinking to a more positive slant.
  • Think about the advice you would offer a friend. Sometimes, stepping out of your circumstances and picturing how you would react to someone else dealing with these feelings will offer invaluable insight. Offer the same encouragement you’d offer to another to yourself.
  • Find a care partner. Working together with a knowledgeable care provider, like Responsive Home Care, enables you to achieve a healthy life balance – something that is vital to every caregiver.

Reach out to our highly trained, experienced, and compassionate care team by calling 954-486-6440 and let us walk alongside you with the high quality, personalized care services your loved one deserves – making it possible to take much-needed time for self-care. We are always available to answer any questions you have, to provide practical resources specific to the concerns you’re facing as a caregiver in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or the surrounding area, and also to provide a free of charge in-home consultation to share how our team in home health care in Ft. Lauderdale can help.