Stroke patients require constant care during rehabilitation and recovery. A stroke may lead to many physical deficiencies such as speech loss, paralysis, etc., making even daily activities difficult to conduct. Therefore, caregivers have to be on their toes all the time. Stroke can also cause emotional challenges for both the patient and the caregivers and eventually result in many health disorders.
Most of the time, caregivers neglect their own health at the cost of the patient’s health. The constant juggling of work, home and caregiving responsibilities make them put their personal health at the end of their priorities. However, caregivers forget that their health is equally important as the patient’s health. Unless they are healthy, they cannot take good care of the patient.
The prolonged emotional and mental stress experienced by the caregivers can adversely affect their overall health. The physical demands of caregiving in addition to the biological vulnerabilities of the caregivers increase the risk of health disorders and reduce their quality of life.
Most caregivers also suffer from depression and chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, etc. Such problems are usually caused by sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, poor eating habits, lack of self-care, etc., all of which are the factors most impacted by caregiving responsibilities. Family caregivers have also reported excessive use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs to combat exhaustion, emotional stress and continuous demands of caregiving.
Use stress-reduction techniques such as yoga and meditation to combat exhaustion and emotional stress.
Eat a healthy diet and get adequate nutrition.
Take a good quality and quantity of sleep every night to relax your body and mind.
Exercise regularly to avoid both physical and mental problems.
Appreciate yourself for all the small successes of the patient, and do not feel guilty if you are not able to achieve any goal.
Take time out for yourself without feeling selfish. Indulge in nurturing activities such as reading, walking, meeting a friend, etc.
Seek and accept help from friends and family and share your caregiving responsibilities with them.
Join a support group or take the help of a therapist or a counsellor.
When you are sick, take a rest without feeling guilty. Attend to your healthcare needs, go to a doctor and take proper medication to stay healthy.
Say no to requests that can be emotionally or physically draining.
Utilise caregiving services such as food delivery, transportation, etc. They will help reduce your workload.
Caregiving responsibilities can get exhausting and stressful. They can adversely impact the health of caregivers and increase the risk of depression, chronic illnesses and many other ailments. These problems not only affect the personal health of caregivers but also impact their ability to take care of the patient.
