Thursday, May 5, 2016

Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Impact of Caregiving on Caregivers

Caregiving can turn out to be diabolical for untrained and inexperienced caregivers. The scenario is even more severe in case of the unpaid caregivers coming from the inner circle of family and friends of the senior in need of care. Reports suggest that most of the caregivers belonging to this category are not much prepared and supported; therefore, face negative physical, mental and emotional health consequences. On the other hand, it can become a blessing in all form for the caregivers equipped with the right knowledge and right attitude like Elder Care San Jose Comfort Keepers.
Here’s a detailed overview on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual impact of caregiving on caregivers observing and explaining both formal and informal conditions:.
Physical Impact of Caregiving on Informal Caregivers
Taking care of an elderly is not an easy task. It has serious physical and mental implications for those who are not trained and experienced enough in dealing with such a heavy responsibility. A report conducted In 2005 found out that three-fifths of informal caregivers suffer from poor health condition. Caregivers are prone to be affected by chronic conditions like heart attack, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and cancer at almost double the rate of non caregivers. They also report having other physical issues including acid reflux and headaches, along with having high levels of obesity and physical pain.
Being engaged in caregiving is so strenuous and exhausting for unprofessional informal caregivers that it leaves no time and energy for them to look after their own health. Hence, they end up lacking self care resulting in more debilitating physical health. It is reported that nearly 72% of family caregivers do not get the opportunity to see a doctor as often as they need and more than 55% of them missed medical appointments.
Physical Impact of Caregiving on Comfort Keepers’ Caregivers
If in the place of the informal family caregivers, Comfort Keepers from Elder Care San Jose  would have been involved there - armed with their training, experience and wisdom on how to care and be cared at the same time - the picture would have been a whole lot different or even opposite in effects.
As Comfort Keepers Elder Care San Jose Know all the issues related to caregiving and are experienced in handling and coping with all the pressure and complexities arising from a caregiver’s condition and unique place in existence. They are able to turn every disadvantage magically into their own favor. By taking regular care of the seniors they end up being more regular in their own physical care. Along with being more cautious about the health of the elderly they at the same time become aware of their own health related implications. So, in case of formal caregivers caregiving is very beneficial for their own physical well being.
Mental Impact of Caregiving on Caregivers
The mental impacts of caregiving is probably even graver than those of physical ones. Continuously strenuous caregiving takes a heavy toll on the mental health of the caregiver, especially if they are not trained and experienced enough. But at the same time it has some very valued mental impacts too. And in case of the Comfort Keepers Alzheimer’s Care San Jose Impacts of caregiving can prove to be mentally therapeutic instead of debilitating.
Caregivers, if not trained, suffer higher risks of depression. Studies have found out that up to 70% of informal caregivers show significant amount of clinically depressive symptoms. Whereas they were supposed to help fight seniors against depression, the caregiver burden ends up taking themselves into the realm of depression. It may even lead some of them to insomnia, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses.  
Caregiving is so stressful that it has been studied as a model for chronic stress situations in medical and psychological studies. So, you can easily realize how an unaccustomed member of your family, suddenly being entrusted upon so crucial a responsibility, may end up feeling in such a  situation. How stressed and frustrated they may feel at times.
However, there are people, very rare, who even after facing the brunt of this physical hardship and mental pressure, are able to go beyond their limits and reach the point where helping and supporting others becomes as much beneficial to their mental health as receiving it. They realise how noble a task fortune has entrusted upon them and what it really means to be able to help the near and dear ones in distress.
This feeling is even more powerful to the Alzheimer’s Care San Jose Comfort Keepers because they take up this profession after realising this truth; hence, are able to help the seniors in a more profound manner and at the same time they themselves become mentally stronger and more peaceful instead of feeling distressed, depressed and frustrated.  
Emotional Impact of Caregiving on Caregivers
Caregiving is tough. Various situations arise vast in complexities and deeper in consequences. Not everybody would be able to deal with such conditions involving real time stress along with mental and physical pressure. An ability to adapt and persevere with hardship has to be developed. It requires rigorous training and years of experience to rightly deal with the emotional quagmire that a job like senior caregiving may bring forward.
An unaccustomed caregiver may easily get overwhelmed with the emotional impact that the unfiltered reality of the situation has to offer. It is very natural for them to feel frustrated, depressed angry, exhausted and helpless or guilty as a result of providing continuous care to our seniors. Only the caregivers who are well aware of such situations and are experienced enough in dealing with them are able to cope with and contain such an emotional phenomenon.  
Uninformed and unprepared caregivers often report growing a sense of meaninglessness, loss of self esteem, constant feeling of worry and uncertainty. It grows even more so because of their not being able to make a real difference in the life of their beloved elderly as they never really knew how to to do that at the first place. Hence, gradually they become even less confident and loss the feeling of their control over things.
All these negative impacts of caregiving can be reversed, if only the caregivers are trained beforehand and are well informed with proper knowledge to deal with such complex conditions as Comfort Keepers Alzheimer’s Care Redwood City are. In such a case they gradually grow a sense of emotional fulfilment for being able to help others and make a valued difference in the lives of others. A philosophic emotional strength grabs a hold on to their inner being enabling them to become peaceful and blissful by time and thus making them even more capable in their vocation of providing elderly care services like Comfort Keepers Alzheimer’s Care Redwood City.   
Spiritual Impact of Caregiving on Caregivers
Highly rewarding tasks, by default, are also high in difficulty and complexity. Caregiving is definitely one of them. But the rewards that caregiving offers to the caregivers are not material; they are rewards of spiritual and emotional significance. It is something that rewards the being in essence. So, the hardship that comes along with it is also somewhat graver in consequences. Reaping the spiritual harvest out of caregiving too is not easy for the uninitiated. But for seasoned caregivers like  Comfort Keepers Home Care San Mateo it’s intensely spiritual.
Caregiving teaches the most important lessons to the caregivers that to live is to love. Through their vocation they are able to learn how to love unconditionally; how to love selflessly. Through their selfless service they get the opportunity to rise beyond all the lower human boundaries and to reach the highest of humanity.
They know all these cares; all these sleepless hours are not in vain. These bring light to families, ignite hope in hearts and bring smile to faces. These are simply invaluable to them. It is the harvest that the Home Care San Mateo Comfort Keepers reap while taking care of our seniors. No matter how hard in complexity and difficulty the situation may become they know at the end they will be able make a difference. They will be able to add life to lives. And that’s what matters to them the most and pushes them forward with a bright heart amidst the storms of all kind.
Moreover, for being with many seniors and their families throughout their career they get to know their lives from  a very intimate perspective, which enriches their own understanding of life and existence as a whole. They are able to see and assimilate different point of views and true stories from real life moments into their own being. Thus continually keep on enlarging their selves and minds.
Above all Comfort Keepers Home Care San Mateo caregivers through their divine profession of caregiving get to realise the true purpose of life itself. The real meaning of existence - to be able to make a difference; to be able to spread love and happiness and to be able make your existence truly valued.
So, the only solution to caregiver burden and the negative impacts of caregiving on untrained informal caregivers is professional caregiving services like Comfort Keepers Elder Care San Jose. Only then the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual impacts of caregiving on the caregivers will remain on the positive side of the spectrum.

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