The demands on a person who is taking care of elderly parents result in a great deal of stress. If caregivers aren’t careful, they jeopardize their own health and well-being.
A study of family caregivers found that those who experience caregiving-related stress have a 63% higher mortality rate than non-caregivers of the same age. There are several reasons why stress occurs, such as working too much, not sleeping enough, having to deal with family and work at the same time, and not having as many hours in the day as you need to take care of yourself.
Remember you can’t care for your loved one if you are ill yourself. The first step in dealing with caregiver stress is to recognize the signs. Then, you can find ways to deal with it and enlist support or medical help when needed.
via Signs of Caregiver Stress: How Can I Tell if I am Too Stressed From Caregiving? – AgingCare.com.