Learn About what Type of Caregiver You Are and the Importance of Taking Care of Yourself

Dr. Christina Herrera, clinical psychologist, shares with us the profile of a caregiver, what their role is, and how they should take care of their emotional state to stay healthy.

Let’s talk about the different ways to care for a family member who is ill and needs our help. Find out what type of caregiver you are; this will help you to properly care for your family member. Here you will learn how important it is to take care of yourself and to stay emotionally healthy during the process.

Identify which of these three types of caregivers you are:

• You are a primary caregiver if you are one of the family members, you live in the same house as the person you care for, or your place of residence is near that person.
• You are an informal caregiver if you are a family member and cooperate to a greater or lesser extent in the care of the dependent person.
• You qualify as a formal caregiver if you have the proper preparation and training to be paid for your work as a caregiver.

What is the caregiver’s profile?

A person who is:

• a direct family member of the affected person (partner, mother, father, son, daughter),
• a volunteer,
• seeking to juggle the care of their family member with their regular responsibilities,
• believing this will be a bearable situation and that it will not last for too long, and
• expecting help from their immediate circle.

What happens to caregivers?

As time goes by, caregivers gradually:

• take on a great physical and psychological burden,
• take full responsibility for the life of the affected person (medication, medical visits, care, hygiene, food),
• lose their independence as the patient absorbs more and more of their energy,
• neglect themselves: they do not take the necessary free time for leisure, abandon their hobbies, do not go out with their friends, and end up putting their life projects on hold for many years to come.
• quality of life continues to decline while the dependent person could improve considerably.

Caregiver syndrome warning signs

• Physical and mental exhaustion
• Sudden mood changes
• Depression and anxiety
• Abusive consumption of tobacco and alcohol
• Sleep disorder
• Appetite and weight changes
• Social isolation
• Memory problems and concentration difficulties
• Work-related problems

How to avoid caregiver syndrome

• Don’t be the ONLY caregiver, get others involved in the process.
• DISCUSS the patient’s progress with family members or other caregivers. Express your feelings and fears to the rest of the family to involve them in the situation and avoid feeling guilty when spending time with yourself.
• HEALTHY LIFESTYLE HABITS: Balanced diet, sports, avoiding excessive consumption (tobacco, alcohol).
• MOMENTS OF REST: Leisure time, self-care. Have time set aside for personal activities and personal interests.
• STAY ACTIVE through hobbies.
• AVOID SOCIAL ISOLATION: Get out of the house and get in touch with friends.
• TRY TO FACILITATE THE FAMILY MEMBER’S AUTONOMY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Let them do what they can do, even if it takes longer. Otherwise, we will be favoring their dependence and increasing our workload.
• ENCOURAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTATION, ensuring that the environment is stable and safe. It will help us avoid unnecessary accidents.
• AVOID STRESS as much as possible by planning for challenging situations.
• A POSITIVE ATTITUDE plays in our favor; it is essential to be as positive as possible.
• INFORMATION and TRAINING: The ill family member does not do things “to annoy you;” it is the brain damage that generates new behaviors that are sometimes difficult to understand.
• ANY NEGATIVE FEELINGS that may surface are human. The important thing is knowing how to recognize them, not being afraid of them, and trying to overcome them, or at least to balance them.
• HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS: Do not hesitate in contacting them to help you with all those negative feelings.

Dr. Christina Herrera is a clinical psychologist graduated from Albizu University in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  She currently offers her services as a clinical psychologist at APS Health, the main mental health services organization in Puerto Rico. In addition, she has her private practice at the SALUS Clinic in Guaynabo. Her areas of expertise include stress management work, addiction, better management of emotional intelligence, progressive relaxation techniques, and mindfulness.