Under Pressure: Stress Management Tips for Caregivers of Patients With Dementia

As aging adults with dementia are on the rise, you may find yourself caring for a parent afflicted with this disease. Balancing care for your parent, children, and spouse while maintaining a career can become extremely stressful. Because most caregivers focus on providing the best care they can for their loved ones, they oftentimes feel stretched too thin to care for themselves.

The emotional and physical stress of caring for a loved one with dementia on top of daily life stresses can easily become overwhelming for a family caregiver. While peaceful meditation, exercising and enjoyable activities are great outlets for stress relief, the greatest protection against stress is a strong support network for when times get rough. Allowing oneself to lean on trusted friends and family members can keep life from seeming too overwhelming.

Also, seek out community support groups for dementia caregivers:

People meet in a given place each week or month.
You get face-to-face contact and a chance to make new friends who live near you.
The meetings get you out of the house, get you moving, provide a social outlet, and reduce feelings of isolation.
Since the people in the support group are from your area, they'll be more familiar with local resources and issues.

Independence-4-Seniors Home Care employs caregivers who are provided specialized, ongoing training in Alzheimer’s and dementia care. If you are looking for care for a loved one in Cook, DuPage, Will or Kane County, contact us today to arrange a free Alzheimer’s home care assessment.