How to Support Someone Who Is Caring for an Elderly Person

Caregivers need care, too. Many people who care for elderly spouses or parents eventually experience a form of burnout, especially if also caring for children or grandchildren. Here are some ways to make the life of a caregiver easier.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Groceries

1. Be there. Many caregivers feel isolated and lonely, especially if providing 24-hour care. Just by calling to chat, or offering to come over for a visit, you help the caregiver feel more in touch with the outside world.

2. Listen. A caregiver can often get frustrated, but usually holds it in. It may help to talk about the stress and discuss aspects of caregiving that the caregiver would never mention to the loved one they are caring for.

3. Offer respite. Even if you can only spare a couple hours a week, take over for a while so that the caregiver can get out of the house.

4. Help out with everyday tasks whenever possible. If you come for a visit, bring a casserole, offer to throw a load of laundry in the washer, or wash and dry some dishes. You could also offer to pick up the kids from school, or get the groceries and dry-cleaning.

5. Help the caregiver keep up to date with medical research, particularly if caring for someone with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or another disease for which new treatments are being developed.

Tips & Warnings

• If the caregiver is caring for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia, help make the house safer by finding ways to stop the person from wandering out of the house, storing dangerous substances out of reach and removing or locking away items that could be dangerous in the hands of someone who suffers from episodes of aggression.
• Be sure to ask the primary caregiver to show you how to do necessary tasks, like helping someone go to the bathroom, or feeding someone who can't feed himself or herself if you are providing respite care.
• If you suspect that the caregiver is severely stressed, frustrated or burned out, help find some community support.

[Divaliscious]

on 4/15/2009 wonderful insightful article you wrote... as a Patient Care Technician whose studying to become an RN - you are absolutely correct. There are services out there to help everyone involved in caring for elders, but many not know about them. Thank you for sharing!

[Gottaloveit]

on 1/7/2009 Excellent, excellent article. I wish my family members would read it as I'm the sole caregiver for my darling 92 year old mother. She's a true treasure and I see it mostly as an honor but, if it wasn't for my friends and my very significant other, I'd never be able to get out of town. And, really, caregivers need frequent downtimes more than you'd think. Thanks so much for the great article.

[kristi71]

on 6/20/2008 Sometimes we take on responsibilities we are not yet ready for, that can turn into an emotional and physical burden in our lives. A friend of mine was in a similar situation. Her family physician told her about ResponseLINK Emergency Alert System. After researching it and calling the company, she purchased it for her mother. Since she was able to leave her mother for periods out of the day, and continue her own life, while knowing that if she was needed she would be contacted immediately she felt greater peace of mind. She was able to spend time for her self, her resentment seemed to diminish.