Stress Busting Tips For Caregivers Taking Care Of A Parent With Alzheimer’s

Taking care of a senior parent with Alzheimer’s is hard, especially if your senior parent wants to stay in their own home. As the disease progresses the stress that caregivers deal with can increase quite a bit. Alzheimer’s care can help caregivers cope with the additional stress that they are under as their senior parent’s Alzheimer’s becomes more pronounced. With Alzheimer’s care you can trust that your senior parent has the supportive, experienced, and compassionate care they need to be safe and happy living independently at home. And Alzheimer’s care also gives caregivers some respite and a chance to take care of themselves. Some of the things that caregivers can do to manage the significant stress that they’re under every day are:

Join A Support Group

Talking to other people who are also caring for a senior parent with Alzheimer’s is a great way for caregivers to manage their emotions and process what they’re going through. Being able to talk with others who are going through the same things and see how other people handle the stresses and problems and grief that are all part of the Alzheimer’s journey can be very helpful. And talking through stresses and bad days in a safe and supportive environment can be good for a caregiver’s mental health.

Exercise

Getting enough exercise is essential for both physical and mental health. Physically caregivers need to make sure that they’re exercising so that they can be healthy and maintain a healthy weight. But exercise also is a great way to burn off stress, improve mental health, and build up endurance and stamina. Caregivers should take at least half an hour each day to engage in some type of exercise. Even if it’s just a walk around the block exercising daily is important.

Make Sure Your Needs Are Met

Caregivers also need to make sure that they’re taking care of their own needs in addition to taking care of a senior parent. That means taking the time to do things like get a hair cut, go to the gym, go to therapy, and take a nap. There’s a reason why in an emergency people are told to make sure they are safe first before they try to help someone else. Caregivers need to make sure they are ok before they try to help a senior parent with Alzheimer’s.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is just as essential for managing stress as exercise and a healthy diet. Some experts might say that sleep is the most important element of self-care because sleep is when the brain resets, processes stress, and adjusts stress hormone levels. Caregivers need to make getting enough restful sleep a priority.

Take Time To Enjoy Some Hobbies

Caregivers deserve the chance to enjoy hobbies and doing fun things. Everyone needs time off, including caregivers. If you’re taking care of a senior parent make time each week to do something fun like take a class or go out for dinner with friends. Do the things that rejuvenate you so that you can keep taking care of your senior parent.