Happy caregivers give better care
A frustrated, irritable caregiver can make a bad situation worse for a patient and his or her family. But considering the stress, anxiety and trauma that go with providing daily compassionate care to people facing serious illness and death, it’s easy to see how caregivers may suffer from symptoms of burnout.
Caregiver burnout can extend beyond family caregivers to nurses, home health aides and others in a senior living or hospice setting. According to the National Center on Caregiving (caregiver.org), burnout symptoms often begin with irritability, followed by frustration, ambivalence, impatience, guilt, anxiety and sadness. These emotions can have a harmful effect on patients if not recognized and managed carefully, but they are often hard to identify, as caregivers are dedicated to maintaining a positive outward appearance.
The emotional state of a patient and patient’s family can have a significant effect on everyone around them. Yet caregivers are expected to uphold their professional standards and compassion while still being bombarded by others’ devastation, anger, confusion, grief and depression. It’s human nature to feel empathy toward those who are suffering or dying, to react defensively when confronted with anger or accusations, to be frustrated when nothing can be done to help, or to bond with patients and family members, thereby taking on their grief.
That’s why healthcare agencies must actively maintain a culture that enables their caregivers to be human, to express their feelings in a safe way, to vent their frustrations and to find help. Agencies can support their caregivers by ensuring they take breaks and have plenty of time to rejuvenate themselves away from patients, patients’ families and their needs. They can provide access to resources and training that help with managing the symptoms and causes of burnout. And, perhaps most importantly, they can pay attention and intervene early when a caregiver shows signs of struggling with his or her work. In many ways, the quality of a healthcare agency can be measured by the emotional wellbeing of its care team.
If you’re a caregiver or are just entering the field, know that it is normal for some emotions to surface when you first take on the job, while other emotions might not manifest themselves until you’ve been at it awhile. All of these emotions are valid and important, and you may need to pay deliberate attention to healing yourself as you plan your work and personal time. It’s tempting to adopt an attitude of “toughness” – to just push through the difficult moments – but if you can’t take the time to manage your own emotional health, then you can’t give your best to those who depend on you for compassion and care.
When choosing a home care or hospice provider, it’s fair to ask about the caregivers themselves. How are they scheduled? What support resources are available to them? How should the family discuss or report concerns about the caregiver? Choose a provider that values the health and emotional wellbeing of its caregivers. You have a choice.