Does your loved one need the constant care and support of a carer to sustain their daily life? If yes, then knowing you should learn about the best practices to avoid carer burnout issues. It is important for an individual to have knowledge of how to avoid carer burnout. After all, you are putting the responsibility of your loved one on the carer. If he/she is heading towards a burnout, it will immensely hamper your parents’ health as well. So, you need to counter such issues in carers assisting your loved ones before they head towards a burnout.

But, before going further, it is essential that you know what burnout actually is.

Burnout is a devastating experience, which can make an individual feel that they are falling deeper and deeper into a black hole with no hope of stopping the descent. Once the descent begins both the carer and the person they are caring for begin to suffer. It will interfere with the ability of the carer to function, raising the risk of chronic depression and other mental and physical problems. Carer burnout is a major cause of placements of loved ones into nursing and care homes. Most studies show that approximately 85% of care support workers are at risk of this problem.

People dependent or relying on care support workers need to be aware of this problem. Otherwise, there can be a lot of negative consequences for both the carer and the person they are caring.

What Are the Signs that Indicates this Problem in the Carers?

The following signs within the carers indicate a burnout:

1. The carer feels overwhelmed, exhausted, and drained, even after a rest
2. They feel helpless and hopeless
3. No longer want to be around the loved one
4. Have angry outbursts that are uncharacteristic
5. Increased irritability and impatience
6. Feeling increasingly resentful
7. Thoughts of harming themselves or the people they are caring for
8. Neglecting important responsibilities
9. Face difficulty in relaxing
10. Have difficulty in sleeping
11. Lost interest in things that they used to enjoy

If you see a carer facing the above difficulties, please recommend they see their GP. There is no shame what they are experiencing, so there is nothing to feel embarrassed about. It takes more courage to put you hand up and ask for help than it does to hide away and risk both your own and your loved one’s safety.

Major Causes for Care Support Worker Break Downs

This can be a combination of many factors that primarily include:

1. Providing continual care for someone who is unable to reciprocate their feelings, or show gratitude for their care
2. Feeling deserted by family, care services, religion or a partner
3. Frustration and disappointment that, despite of their efforts, the person they are caring for does not make progress or continues to deteriorate. This is a failure to accept that the care they are providing is not the cause of the decline
4. They are reluctant, unable or unwilling to seek out or accept help from others

Remedies:

The key to avoiding burnout is to take action and regain some balance in life. The better they will take care of their own needs, the more they can be physically, mentally, and emotionally be available to support the person for whom they are caring. You might think that it is ‘easy to say’ but is not that easy to do. The fact is that unless the carers themselves try to regain some balance, they won’t be able to perform their job rightfully. So, it’s always better to not risk it.

There are many methods to help. What is actually needed is to be open about the problems that an individual is facing while performing the job of a home care support worker. Only when you open up, someone can help you to deal with the situation.

For more details: https://holm.care/