In 2015 there were 2.7 million unpaid carers in Australia<\/a>. Around 32% of these are primary carers, providing the most informal assistance to another individual. Most primary carers provide more than 20 hours a week of care<\/a>, which is a huge commitment that can be difficult to take on in addition to the carer\u2019s other responsibilities. Over time, the emotional and physical energy that is required for caring can start to take its toll. In extreme cases, the carer may experience caregiver burnout.<\/p>\n
Caregiver burnout occurs when the carer becomes physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted from the stress of caring for their loved one. This is compounded if they feel alone, do not have support from other family members, or don\u2019t feel that all of the work that they do is appreciated.<\/p>\n
As caregiving has taken over their life, caregivers will often forget to take care of themselves and may become depressed<\/a>. If this goes on for too long, they may eventually lose complete interest in caring for themselves and the person that they are looking after. If this happens and it is not seen to, the caregiver will not physically be able to take good care of their loved one. As such, it has a detrimental effect on not only the carer but also the person in their care.<\/p>\n
There are several warning signs that can indicate that burnout may be likely before it occurs. If you know the signs to look out for, you can monitor them and take steps to minimise the stress that you are experiencing before it becomes more serious.<\/p>\n
The following are the most common early signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout:<\/p>\n
The above are the more emotional aspects of caregiver burnout. When it does occur, however, caregiver burnout can have physical symptoms too, such as:<\/p>\n
As burnout progresses, the symptoms may become more severe, which can make it progressively more difficult for the caregiver to look after their loved one.<\/p>\n
As a carer, there are several things that you can do to ensure you are taking care of yourself, which will help prevent burnout:<\/p>\n
Maintaining a healthy mind and body is essential for all caregivers. At Brain Sparks, we share tools to bring understanding and insight into living the best life you can when coping with health and wellbeing challenges. We help professional caregivers, families and communities understand the difficulties that people face as they age or deal with neurological disorders. The Compassionate Touch\u00ae<\/strong><\/a> or Ignite™<\/a> courses may be of interest to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"