Who takes care of the Carers?
By janevi
@janevi (888)
Philippines
December 9, 2011 6:13pm CST
Carers/caregivers/care providers are task to take care of the health of other people. To see their needs are met and served them with love, joy, enthusiasm, sense of humor ( needed to uplift the spirit of the patient) and confidence.
What if, they already get drained out or stressed out that their patience, sense of humor, etc are no longer present in them? Who will take good care of themselves?
What a pity is this thing would happen because they are no longer therapeutic in their approach to care.
How do they maintain their own well-being to continue to help others?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@dwetherell (37)
•
10 Dec 11
That's a great question and I'm not a caregiver by profession, but I did move in with my father a couple of years ago to care for me while he battled cancer. It was hard on everyone. My dad and I didn't have a very good relationship to start with and I think he really resented me being there. People who don't handle illness well (particularly in this case because he was dying) tend to take it out on the caregivers. I'm sure they are trained to handle such things and I only wish that I had that training. I had no family or friends to be there to support me until it was all over and he had passed. It is such a lonely feeling.
1 person likes this
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
10 Dec 11
I can empathize with with dwetherell. taking care of someone with cancer is hard. You see his/her deterioration everyday as the body slowly succumb to the medications given as well as to the disease itself. It is painful to see him go but it is also a grace to have the chance to accompany them in their last days. I have cared for cancer patients many times. it is hard especially when I am emotionally attached to them. but as the years went by, I learned to somehow to be attached and to detached. It's a kind of skill that caregivers/health care providers should learn to maintain sanity, to stay healthy.
It is not easy but once you get the hang of it, it becomes natural.
what is important when yo care for someone is to have a support group where you can vent some desperations, aspirations, problems and consolations. it helps you get a positive view of things always .
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
10 Dec 11
It is not an easy job being a carer, especially when it is someone close like a family member, this is when emotions get affected as well, I cared for my mother who had alzheimers and I nearly had a nervous breakdown, and the there is guilt to content with when you think you failed ..it is very hard sometimes.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
10 Dec 11
Emotional attachment is one of the hardest part being a caregiver/care provider. Being a caregiver for patients over a long period of time especially a family member,makes caregiver develop an emotional attachment to their patients. She can't help because day in and day out, she is the one attending to her needs and until such time that you mastered what to do with her with all her tantrums, joys and sorrows.
when this happens, the carers have no one to turn to for comfort unless she has a support group whom she can talk to and share her experiences.
@srjac0902 (1169)
• Italy
10 Dec 11
Normally the Carers/caregivers/care providers grow mature while they are in service and they see the provision for their well being. But unfortunates if they fall unser such a spell, the employers must see to their healing. But they are the bosses too that is if they do not have any employers, then they themselves must take care everyday remembering very well that they do not have anyone. For this they must have cordial relationship with family members or friends. There are people who do not like to associate themselves with anyone and live isolated. But if we like to render our life so much alive then we have to find someone with whom we can share and give as well receive.
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
10 Dec 11
Nobody cares about the cares. Why not? Because everybody thinks they can manage themselves. The carer his/her reward is that it feels good to give a helping hand.. till the moment he/she is out of energy and feels empty.
He/she will break down and find out nobody cares about him/her at all and it all was just a waste of good energy and a lot of time. Energy and time one should first invest in his/herself before starting to help out others.
@JustEm (23)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
19 Oct 15
I am a Caregiver and find it a tough job, but I strive for making people happy and having the feeling of helping people live lives as normal as possible. I think that if you have the right mindset you tend to focus more on the positives and less on the negatives. I have been doing it for over 2 years now and still love seeing my ladies and gents certainly coping better with my help.. One of my ladies will actually turn others away if I have a day off and refuse to spend her social time with them. If you have the right attitude, your "Clients" turn more into friends that you visit and help out..
@bamikalipal (588)
• Philippines
10 Dec 11
Hi janevi. Primarily, patient caregivers are supposed to know how to give care. Therefore, caregivers must take care of themselves, first and foremost, so that they will be perfectly fit to take care of their wards.
