Many people who care for someone with loss of autonomy due to old age don’t often realize the importance of their role. Although many people believe that lending a hand to a family member or a close friend is only normal, they are unaware that the series of helpful tasks they perform is actually called “caregiving”. Not recognizing this role tends to undervalue much of the care and the work involved.

Being a caregiver can be gratifying, however it often involves enormous responsibilities as well as a major life adjustment. Caregivers can find themselves missing work, managing less income, running errands, struggling with space in the household, as well as spending less time with family and friends. Furthermore, caregivers may have to redefine household chores, be able to manage crises, watch the diet as well as deal with mental and physical limitations and facilitate rehabilitation of the person that they’re caring for. A caregiver’s role can have an impact on sexuality, friendships, socializing and time alone. As the tasks and the responsibilities increase with time so do the fatigue and stress that can often lead to exhaustion. For those who have a limited family network or have difficulty in asking for or accepting help, caregiving can become an isolating experience.

If you assist your loved with one or more daily tasks such as shopping, personal hygiene, getting dressed, preparing meals, providing transportation, managing financial matters, making appointments, providing moral support, etc., you are a caregiver. Recognizing yourself as a caregiver is the first step to seeking the crucial support and making a positive difference in the quality of your life as well as those those surrounding you.

By having a better understanding of your role as a caregiver and how it can impact your life, you’ll be better equipped to avoid/handle anxiety and/or depression. This will also allow you to have a balanced life style and overall well-being. The key is not to try to change everything at once, but to make small adjustments overtime to determine what works best for you.

Here are a few suggestions to help overcome the barriers and improve your caregiving experience;

- Allow yourself to ask for support rather than wait for someone to offer their assistance. The worst thing that can happen is getting turned down. Generally, people are glad to be of service.

- Express your needs to your network of people. Let them know that you’re grateful for their help even if their work isn’t done perfectly. You can always mention at a later time the improvements that you would like to see.

- Include and accept what each individual in your network has to offer. They could become indispensable at a time when you need them the most. Everyone around us satisfies our different needs; some are excellent confidants while others are great at lending a hand. For instance, some people would gladly share a tool rather than talk about feelings or illnesses.

- Inform yourself about the various resources in your vicinity and make use of their services.

For support, information and references, dial Info-aidant, the free caregivers helpline of l’Appui pour les proches aidants Laval at 1 (855) 852-7793. Diane Lauzon, a qualified caregiver’s specialist will see to your needs along the way by offering a personalized service in answering your questions concerning various topics such as learning sessions, conferences, support groups, tax credits for caregivers, free income tax declarations, mandates in case of incapacity, transportation, moratorium, home services, nursing homes and much more. L’Appui’s mission is to help improve the caregiver’s quality of life.

Their website at www.lappuilaval.org provides answers, tips, information and local resources, as well as a monthly bilingual newsletter containing helpful tools and all the latest local news and activities related to caregiving.

Written and translated by Diane Lauzon, B.Sc. psychosocial counselor at the Info-aidant caregivers help line at L’Appui pour les proches aidants Laval.

Source;
FORTIN, Bruno (2006). Intervenir en santé mentale. Nouv. Ed. rev. Et augm. Fides, Québec, 387 p.

For more information;
Laval; 1-855-852-7793
Laurentians; 1-855-852-7795
Lanaudière; 1-855-852-7784