Grainne Byrne PR Releases

With National Carers Week coming up (w/c 18th June), here are 5 strategies to help family carers cope.

While caring can be a very rewarding and bonding experience, the role is often demanding, exhausting and stressful which can lead to feelings of isolation and depression.  This stress can manifest itself in a wide range of ways, emotionally and physically, including disturbed sleep, headaches, weight fluctuation, fatigue, anxiety and mood swings. It is vitally important for family caregivers to recognise the signs and take steps to deal with stress before it becomes a major problem for the themselves or for the person they look after.

Home Instead Senior Care has a free information guide aimed specifically at family carers. “Running on Empty – who cares for the CAREGivers?” looks at caregiving from the carers point of view, offering insights and information on coping with the stresses the task inevitably brings. 

The 5 coping strategies are:

set realistic expectations and goals;

establish limits;

ask for and accept help;

take care of yourself

involve other people.

‘Running on Empty’ goes through each strategy explaining steps that can be taken to achieve a reduction in stress. A caregiver who takes care of themselves, mentally and physically, will ultimately be a better carer to their loved one.

Home Instead Senior Care has access to a vast resource of information based not just on experiences here in Ireland but also incorporating data from America and the other countries around the world where Home Instead operates.  They use this resource in training and supporting their professional caregivers so it made sense to adapt it to help family carers.

To download a copy of ‘Running on Empty’ click on to http://www.homeinstead.ie/running_on_empty.aspx