Family Caregivers Need Holidays Too

It is importance for caregivers to take time to relax, unwind and enjoy their own company for a while.

National Family Caregivers Month – Respite: Care for Caregivers

November 2015 is National Family Caregivers Month, the the theme this year is “Respite: Care for Caregivers”.

Being a carer can be an extremely stressful job, but taking regular breaks can help to alleviate some of the pressures involved with looking after someone 24/7.

While it can be difficult to find a spare minute for yourself when giving all of your time to someone else in your care, respite is still vital to your wellbeing and your ability to continue being an effective caregiver. Without maintaining your own health, coping with the day-to-day strains of administering 24/7 care can become all too much to bear.

This is why a well earned break every once in a while is extremely important for caregivers. The constant pressures of having someone in your care can take its toll and there are many studies to back this up. In fact, it is claimed that as many as 60% of caregivers have signs of clinical depression and that they are taking more medication than their peers.

Asking for help is never straightforward and sometimes soldiering on feels like the easier option for many. Nevertheless, getting the support that you need in order to be able to take a break and recuperate is essential to your own mental and physical health, so when help is offered do try to take advantage of it.

A Break Is Important For You and the Person in your Care

Holidays can be a daunting experience for caregivers. Whether you are going away with the person in your care or leaving them behind with others doesn’t matter – both situations bring their own anxieties and worries. That being said, a break can often do both you and the person you are caring for the world of good, leaving you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of caregiving once more.

Having a break can help you to get back into a healthy sleep pattern, something that is absolutely vital for both mind and body. Missing out on sleep on a regular basis can cause all sorts of problems for anybody, let alone someone who is under the never-ending pressure of caregiving. Sleep heals all manner of things and can help to keep your stress levels down throughout the day, allowing you to approach the care that you give with an open and clear mind.

Something to Look Forward To

Another important element for caregivers who have the opportunity to book a holiday is the fact that they then have something in the diary to look forward to. Giving someone constant care can often leave the carer feeling as though there is no end to the situation that they find themselves in. Having a date in the diary changes that and allows you to have something to cling on to when the tough days come around.

Failing to take adequate breaks can leave you feeling as though you are not up to the task at all at times. Constantly questioning your ability to give the care that is needed is just another stress point to add to the countless others that caregivers meet head on each day, but taking a break can help to relieve many of these from our lives.

Get Help from Wherever You Can

Speak with family members or consult one of the many online support groups for carers to find out how you too can begin taking the breaks that you need in order to keep on giving the care needed by your loved one.

Avanti Insurance have a range of policies to meet your needs, regardless of whether you are travelling with or without the person in your care, so be sure to check them out too. Every carer should have a break to look forward to, so look into booking yours today.