In a new series of "unique to the web" articles, the Butler County Chamber of Commerce website will feature stories highlighting issues of interest to the local businesses community.
By Dino Capestrani
Director of Marketing for Concordia Visiting Nurses
Family caregivers are frequently the subject of research studies about stress. Rightly so! As grown-up daughters and sons care for aging parents, they are faced with many new physical, emotional, financial, and practical demands. And this on top of their already busy lives!
Prolonged stress is indeed hazardous to your health. But you do have choices. Many adult daughters and sons report feeling they have no choice about caregiving. Although family obligation may be a factor in your situation, you do have a choice about how you handle your responses.
There are ways to manage stress so it does not get the better of you. It requires attention and time. It may mean you have to look at beliefs about yourself. You may have to take risks. You might need to say things or behave in ways that are new and perhaps uncomfortable. And sometimes it will require letting go, realizing you can't do it all, and asking for help. For instance, you need time away from caregiving responsibilities to recharge your batteries. And hard as it may seem to be, experienced family caregivers will confirm that taking breaks actually makes you a better caregiver in the long run.
Concordia Visiting Nurses Family Caregiver website, Elder Pages Pittsburgh, gives helpful information for some stress management based on years of research with family members. These tips can help you become more emotionally resilient. And, even if only in small glimmers, these strategies can remind you that there are also rewarding and sometimes fun aspects to caring for a family member.
Log onto our site and then click on the “Tips and Tools for Family Caregivers” menu along the top, then click on the sub menu called “Coping with Stress” for additional information.
View our YouTube user tutorial for Elder Pages Pittsburgh by Concordia Visiting Nurses:
