Challenges caregivers face in caregiving

Taking Care of Your Loved Ones

As we grow old, we are bound to get weaker and more prone to various illnesses. Moreover, the same thing will happen to our parents first. Then, we will face two different choices. We can either take care of our parents by ourselves or choose a nursing home for them where trained caretakers will make sure that they are well. Alternatively, you can hire a caretaker to visit your home frequently and take care of your ill loved ones there.

However, many people prefer to find a nursing home for their parents, once their illness and age start to take their tolls. Namely, it is hard to watch your father or mother losing his/her strength and vitality, while you are under the same roof. Also, if you, as a child, choose to be the caretaker, you are likely to get quite frustrated and emotionally touched by the actions you will have to perform. For example, you will need to administer medications, organize transport to the hospital, take care of hygiene and nutrition. All this can be very depressing and demanding once you feel an emotional connection with the patient. Thus, a majority of people choose not to witness the decreasing health of their parents directly and manage this through finding a nursing home.

Nevertheless, professional caretakers have a lot of problems they have to face in their line of work.

Challenges Caregivers Face

Each of the tasks a caregiver has to perform gets harder once the patient's health begins to deteriorate significantly. Quite often, related or not, caretakers establish an emotional connection with the person they are taking care of. Thus, grief, guilt and some other negative feelings are unavoidable once the caretaker becomes incapable of helping the patient. In such situations caretakers fear that each wrong step they make may decrease the lifespan of the patient. This can be very stressful and demanding.

Additionally, arguments and anger of the patient may cause the caretaker to feel miserable and rejected. Also, the demands may seem overwhelming sometimes. The family of the patient may blame you for something bad that has happened and this can be very stressful as well.

Finally, anger management skills are necessary when you are a caregiver. Many caregivers reach a boiling point when it comes to stress and are capable of being violent with the patient.

All in all, being a caregiver is not an easy task at all. Thus, you need to be prepared for all the negative aspects which go hand-in-hand with the job, or the obligation of taking care of your patients or your loved ones in need.