Caring for Adults with Cognitive and Memory Impairments Family Caregiver Alliance (page 4 of 6) Page 4 of 6

Respite: A Key to Preventing Caregiver Burnout

If you care for a person with dementia, you face even greater risks for health problems than other caregivers. You are particularly at risk for caregiver burnout-a state of mental and physical exhaustion brought on by the physical, mental, emotional and/or financial stresses of providing ongoing care, usually over a long period of time. Symptoms include diffi-culty concentrating, anxiety, irritability, digestive problems, depression, problems sleeping and social withdrawal. Caregiver burnout puts both you and your loved one at risk. It is one of the most-cited reasons for caregivers placing a loved one in a nurs-ing home or other long-term care facility.

One of the most effective ways to prevent caregiver burnout is by taking care of your physical health needs, as well as your mental and social health needs. Essential to meeting these needs is to sched-ule regular time off from your caregiving duties. If you do not have a neighbor, family member or friend nearby who can provide dependable weekly help, look into respite services in your community (See Resources below.)

Respite literally means a rest-a break away from the demands of caregiving. Respite can be arranged for varying lengths of time-a few hours, overnight, a weekend, even for a week or longer. It can be pro-vided in your home or in a facility such as adult day care or a nursing home. In-home attendants may be employed by an agency, self-employed or volun-teers. Respite care can be arranged privately for a fee, paid for by some long-term care insurance policies, or sometimes provided by government or private organizations.
 

Locating Caregiver Resources

The number of services for cognitively-impaired adults, their families and caregivers is growing, al-though in some communities, agencies may be difficult to locate. A good place to start is the Eldercare Locator, a free nationwide toll-free service that is designed to assist older adults and their caregivers to find services in their community. Family Caregiver Alliance offers assistance as well. (See Resources for contact information.)

Consider contacting senior centers, independent liv-ing centers, Area Agencies on Aging, local chapters of national organizations and foundations such as the Alzheimer's Association, Brain Injury Association, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Parkinson's groups and others. Nursing home ombudsman programs, com-munity mental health centers, social service or case management agencies, schools of nursing, and church groups may be other sources of assistance. In Cali-fornia, regional Caregiver Resource Centers offer information and services. Most supportive organiza-tions are listed in the phone book under “Social Services” or “Seniors,” and many are on the Internet. Each time you talk to someone, ask for referrals and phone numbers of others who may assist you.

Online Resources

The Internet provides a wealth of information for caregivers, from an organization's mission and contact information, to online support groups, to articles about overcoming the challenges of caregiv-ing. Most public libraries, universities and many senior centers have computers and Internet access available for free public use. If you do not know how to use a computer or how to access the Internet, don't be shy-organization personnel are trained to how you how to get the information you are looking for. Once you get to a search engine such as Yahoo or Google, type in the search terms-the general information you are seeking, such as, “adult day care Sacramento, California” or “Alzheimer's disease support groups,” and you will usually get a number of options to choose from. If you do not succeed the first time, try changing the search terms, such as “respite care Sacramento California” or “caregiver support groups.”

One word of caution: as with any printed material, read with a healthy skepticism-just because it is on the Internet does not make it true. If in doubt, check the information with another independent resource and talk to your loved one's doctor before proceeding, especially in regard to medications. Remember, just because a product is called “natural” or “herbal” does not mean it is harmless, particularly when mixed with other medications.

A number of caregiver resources are available to you-all you need to do is ask for help. You do not have to do it alone.

Resources

Family Caregiver Alliance
180 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 434-3388
(800) 445-8106
Web Site: www.caregiver.org
E-mail: info@caregiver.org
Online Support Groups: www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=347

Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) seeks to improve the quality of life for caregivers through education, services, research and advocacy.

FCA's National Center on Caregiving offers information on current social, public policy and caregiving issues and provides assistance in the development of public and private programs for caregivers.

For residents of the greater San Francisco Bay Area, FCA provides direct family support services for caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease, stroke, ALS, head injury, Parkinson's disease and other debilitating health conditions that strike adults.
 

AARP
601 E. Street, NW
Washington, DC 20049
(888) 687-2277
(202) 434-2277 (publications on caregiving)
www.aarp.org

Administration on Aging
3033 Wilson Blvd. Suite 700B
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 228-1700
www.aoa.gov

BenefitsCheckUp
www.benefitscheckup.org

Designed by the National Council on Aging, this Website enables you to complete a questionnaire to find federal, state, and local programs that you might be eligible for and how to apply.

From the Family Caregiver Alliance. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. Third-party usage restricted. www.caregiver.org. 800-445-8106.

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