Ways to Fight Caregiver Burnout Right Now
There is no question that there is a tsunami of caregiving around the world. In the United States, over 40 million adults are providing unpaid care services. Today, just over 34 percent of the population is over age 50, and that number is growing as GenX and the Late-Boomers continue to get older, and the remaining Baby-Boomers are still getting older.
This rapidly aging population, along with the advances in medical science, means more people need long-term care services. Family members often become default caregivers. These family caregivers face tremendous challenges.
Family caregivers experience fatigue, anxiety, and depression. There is a physical, emotional, and even a financial burden caregivers must deal with in their role of caring for a loved one. Caregivers were often unprepared and untrained for this job. While the best treatment is to avoid the problem in the first place, once in the role, how do caregivers address their health problems?
Symptoms of Burnout
WebMD says the symptoms of caregiver burnout are similar to the symptoms of stress and depression. Some of these symptoms include:
- Withdrawal from friends and family
- Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
- Feeling blue, irritable, hopeless, and helpless
- Changes in appetite, weight, or both
- Sleep problems
- Frequent illnesses
- Exhaustion
- Irritability
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the rates of anxiety and depression symptoms, including thoughts of suicide, have been much higher for unpaid family caregivers than the public in general.
Seven Ways to Reduce Caregiver Stress and Fatigue
Stephen Chee, director of employee wellness at Lifetime Wellness, writes in Next Avenue about the seven ways to reduce the stress and fatigue - read here.
Will your family be prepared for the consequences of your future aging? Have you planned for the financial costs and burdens that come with getting older?
You can't deny it. Your health and body have gone through many changes in the last twenty years. You will see more significant changes in your health, body, and mind in the next twenty-plus years. The cost of long-term care is very expensive, and often your loved ones will find themselves in a caregiver's role. There is a better solution.
How Can Long-Term Care Insurance Help Your Family?
Affordable Long-Term Care Insurance will provide you with the guaranteed tax-free benefits to pay for your choice of quality care. This care can be provided in your home or in a quality facility of your choice.
When you have a policy, not only will it safeguard your savings and income, it will give your family the time to be family. Your loved ones will not have to suffer the stress and anxiety of being your future caregiver.
LTC NEWS offers many resources to help you learn about your options. Find these options by clicking here. Experts suggest planning when you are in your 40s or 50s as premiums are based, in part by your age and health.
Avoiding the problem in the first place is the best way to avoid the stress and anxiety that family caregivers endure. Acting now, before you retire, maintain your control and independence and gives the entire family peace-of-mind.