Caregiver Burnout: Watch for These Signs

The conversations around home care services often focus on patient needs. But it’s equally as important to consider the needs of caregivers as well. When family members or paid caregivers are experiencing ongoing stress, it can result in serious consequences and affect the person’s ability to offer quality care to the person in need.

Caregiver burnout happens when a person is overextended and in need of relief from their caregiver responsibilities. The result can be emotional, physical, or mental exhaustion. This phenomenon usually happens when a person prioritizes the interests and needs of a loved one over their own needs. Eventually, the unmanaged stress reaches a point where the person can no longer cope with the situation.

At this point, it’s essential to get added support. Better yet: families should watch for the early signs of caregiver fatigue to seek help before caregivers reach a point of burnout.

6 Signs of Caregiver Burnout

If you or a loved one is caring for a family member in need, then watch for these signs of caregiver burnout:

1. Motivation: The caregiver’s motivation decreases and the person finds it difficult to maintain the needed responsibilities to care for a loved one.
2. Emotion: Feelings and emotions can decrease or be numbed due to the burnout a person is feeling.
3. Hope: The caregiver might feel like there is no hope in sight, which affects the person’s ability to provide support.
4. Fatigue: Even when the caregiver has time for extra rest, sleeping and self-care aren’t enough to relieve the fatigue that the person is experiencing.
5. Physical: When a person is stressed and run down physically, then it’s common to experience sickness more frequently.
6. Irritability: Impatience and irritability begin to increase, making it challenging for a caregiver to maintain balanced emotions in daily activities.

Support for Caregivers

Is it time to bring in-home care services to offer relief to caregivers? Not only are home care services beneficial for a person in need, but these individualized plans are ideal for supporting the whole family. If you are a caregiver or you know a caregiver who needs support, reach out to us at Bonita Springs Healthcare Services to learn about available services.