COVER STORY
WHAT SHOULD A CAREGIVER DO IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES?
Image credit: MATTHEW HENRY from Burst
By SHAGORIKA EASWAR, with files from NEWS CANADA
COVID-19 has changed the landscape in more ways than we can count. As the snow melts and spring takes its first tentative steps, the streets (and shops) wear a deserted look.
With the virus wreaking havoc across the world and the number of people testing positive or self-isolating, people taking care of family members has become a common topic of discussion.
How are people and their care-givers coping? Thankfully, each individual case doesn’t last too long and the call to “wash your hands!” before you touch anything is, after all, a good habit. The social distancing that all of us are struggling with – no play dates for children, no meeting a friend over a cup of coffee, no popping in to see an ailing neighbour – also doesn’t impact life in a lasting manner. It’s tough while it lasts, but one knows it’s for a finite period. Unlike that for people who require care for prolonged periods.
For their caregivers, social distancing and the resultant isolation and stress is very real.
We say to people looking after family members who are unwell to take care of themselves, too. But they rarely do, caught up as they are in the cycle of work and home and perhaps caring for children and parents at the same time. Two different generations with two different sets of needs, each requiring full-time attention.
A friend talks about how her mother fell down, fractured her hip and now requires round-the-clock care. “We have a live-in caregiver, but mummy wants me, she says the woman doesn’t understand her. And I get that, but I am so exhausted all the time. I don’t know how long I can keep getting up multiple times a night, every night.”
A lady reveals her thoughts with almost a sense of shame. When her husband was unwell, she looked after him lovingly and with great gentleness. But she resented being shut-in with him all the time. “All the people who came to see us, I was making endless cups of chai for them and engaging in small talk, and all the time I was thinking, if only you would offer to sit here so I could go out for just a little while. You’ll think I’m a horrible, shallow person, but you know what I missed the most? Wearing a nice sari and going out.”
In Feeding My Mother, Jann Arden chronicled how her life changed when she took on the responsibility of looking after her mother after her father passed away.
She shared how being away for a few days felt.
“When I was away these past two weeks, I felt riddled with guilt and I felt so relieved at the same time. It’s nearly impossible to have these two very different emotions mingling inside my heart.”
Similarly, Elizabeth Hay’s All Things Consoled is a window into a landscape that will be familiar to many who are caring for others. Brutally honest, yet sweet and wry, all at the same time, it lays bare the days of a caregiver in all its moods.
Those dealing with similar situations will see themselves in the laughter and the tears, in the love and the frustration. Those who are not in that position, may take it as a cautionary tale about the very real issue of caregiver stress.
With the rise in numbers of our senior population and the prevalence of chronic conditions, the number of people needing assistance is forecast to double over the next 30 years. Today, 8.1 million unpaid caregivers are an integral part of the healthcare system and more and more of us are becoming caregivers.
If you’re one of the 8.1 million Canadians caring for a family member or friend, you understand first-hand the responsibilities required to manage the health and wellbeing of a loved one. But who is caring for the caregivers?
They require recognition and concrete supports as their role in the healthcare system intensifies. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the daily decisions they have to make, many feel an enormous burden of providing support while struggling to keep their own lives on track.
The 2018 Canadian Carers Pulse Survey revealed that :
49 per cent of respondents said they had no one to speak with about their day-to-day experiences as a caregiver,.
50 per cent felt that they are unheard or misunderstood by the people around them.
69 per cent of respondents reveal caregiving has taken a toll on their emotional health.
More than half said it affects their physical health.
Seven in 10 Canadians feel that caregivers are overlooked or under-supported by the current healthcare system.
Signs you may have caregiver burnout include:
You can’t fall asleep or you frequently wake up during the night.
You experience a lack of energy during the day.
You feel impatient or are easily agitated.You have trouble concentrating on simple tasks.
You have stopped doing activities you once found enjoyable.
You are more socially isolated from friends and family.
Given that more than 80 per cent of caregivers pick up medications for loved ones, pharmacists were identified as a critical healthcare provider whom caregivers and their loved ones see more often than physicians, specialists and other members of the healthcare team.
The Caregiver Friendly Pharmacy Program helps connect caregivers with the most accessible members of the healthcare system – pharmacists. Through education tools, an online support network, and insightful checklists, the program can help them deliver care and advocate for their loved ones with increased knowledge, confidence and support from their pharmacy team who understands their needs as well.
An important caregiver self-assessment tool can help caregivers evaluate their own health and determine if it may be time to enlist additional support systems to avoid illness or burnout.
Mike Boivin, a pharmacist consultant who cares for his adult daughter with autism, says the key to optimizing the pharmacist-caregiver relationship is for carers to “self-identify” their role and ask for help. “Caregivers need to identify issues early on with family, pharmacists and the healthcare team to have a plan in place,” he says. “With that, the care of a loved one is much more manageable, especially during times of crisis.”
The support program was developed after extensive research from more than 2,000 caregivers and non-caregivers to understand their experiences and information needs. This research found that caregiving has an enormous impact on the lives of the people who provide it, affecting them on many levels – including their emotional and physical health and their social and family lives.
“We see caregivers in pharmacies every day, in every region, and this program provides a tremendous opportunity for pharmacists to start a dialogue, offer education, provide guidance and build trusted relationships over time,” says Iris Krawchenko, a pharmacist consultant and caregiver to her own elderly father. “This initiative strengthens the opportunity for pharmacists and caregivers to connect and provides tangible tools to organize and advocate for their care. We know pharmacists have always been the most accessible front-line support in the healthcare setting.”
The program provides concrete checklists; health, social and government resources; support organizations; caregiver education and self-assessment tools; and useful, pertinent medication information.
How to add a pharmacist to your caregiving team:
Introduce yourself to your loved one’s pharmacist and identify your role as a caregiver.
Schedule a meeting with the pharmacist to provide background about your loved one.
Bring information about your loved one and a list of questions for your first visit.
Take notes that include your observations or concerns for future visits with your pharmacist.
Report any change in the physical condition of the person you care for.
Talk about how you are feeling, ask about your own health and seek advice.
Image credit: NEWS CANADA.
you can’t help others if you are physically and emotionally exhausted
From NEWS CANADA
Educate yourself, use these tips to take care of yourself and your family.
Read books, attend workshops and consult with healthcare professionals.
Even if the person you’re caring for doesn’t have a specific condition, it’s still useful to gather general information about ageing and elder care.
Maintain your own physical and mental health.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and eating healthy, well-balanced meals.
Exercise, rest, meditation and other activities can reduce stress.
Support systems are critical, so join a caregiver support group or discuss your situation with family and friends.
Make time for yourself. Pursue interests beyond your caregiving role and other obligations you may have, like work and the kids.
No matter how much you may enjoy all of these aspects of your life, it’s important to do something just for you – like exercise, hobbies or art projects.
Ask for help. Caregiving is stressful, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Connect with your loved one’s healthcare team and don’t be afraid to ask questions and request information.
Seek medical help if you notice signs of depression or anxiety.
Take the caregiver self-assessment to determine if you need help from a health care provider.
Talk to your pharmacist. Continuing education programs and resources are helping pharmacists provide tailored services to the caregivers in their community.
For example, the Caregiver Friendly Pharmacy Program was specifically developed to support caregivers and is available to pharmacies across Canada.
Get organized. Websites like tevacaregivers.com provide tools and checklists to help you organize and update key information about your loved one’s condition.
Take care of financial, legal and long-term care planning matters.
If they are still capable of providing input, try to involve your loved one in decision-making and consider their wishes related to future care and end-of-life issues.
Seek additional support. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, a change or help might be what you require.
You may need to call on other family members, explore community resources or hire professional assistance.
Bayshore HealthCare provides personalised home care services across Canada.
This additional support can allow you to spend quality time with your elderly loved one, while enhancing quality of life and independence for you both.
Learn what caregiver resources are available. Some of these are national and provincial government resources, support organizations, patient groups and health and social services centres.