Caregiver Burnout: What Can Help?

When a caregiver experiences prolonged and significant stress, they may develop burnout — a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion. Symptoms of caregiver burnout include fatigue and other problematic side effects, including anxiety, depression, disinterest, and guilt.See Disclosure ¹

Burnout can set in when your caregiving duties go beyond your limits. Recent reports from the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving show that 36 percent of caregivers experience high emotional stress, 18 percent report financial difficulties, and 17 percent feel physically strained.See Disclosure ²

For caregivers, stress can come in many forms, including lack of support, role confusion, unreasonable demands, or lack of personal time. Once you experience the effects of burnout, continuing to provide necessary care can become extremely difficult.

There are several things you can do to help reduce your chances of developing caregiver burnout. But this will mean taking the time to establish personal awareness of your limits and expectations with caregiving. The US Department of Health and Human Services provides free resources for information and education for new and existing caregivers.See Disclosure ³

Since stress is often the catalyst for burnout, stress management is crucial. While you may not be able to remove caregiving stress completely, you can utilize tools and techniques to help alleviate strain. Specific tech devices can help you streamline caregiving routines for easy at-home condition management. And implementing changes to your lifestyle can offer opportunities to support your own health and wellness.

Many caregivers offer support to individuals with complex health issues. Whether you’re taking care of an elderly parent, an individual with neurodiversity, or someone with limited mobility, technology can help you monitor their condition and provide them with opportunities for independence.

Whether you’re a secondary or primary caregiver, there will most likely be times when you need to step out to run an errand or be away from the home. In these moments, medical alert devices can help offer safety and peace of mind for everyone involved. These wearable devices can detect falls, employ GPS tracking, and provide instant access to medical professionals in case of an emergency. Medical alert devices can be used in tandem with mobility aids like walkers, rollators and wheelchairs, so your loved one can have support during movement even when you’re away. These tools can give an individual a sense of agency, knowing that if they fall, help is only one call away.

If the person you’re caring for cannot use mobility aids, smart speakers and displays can help them control their environment without needing to move. With voice activation, they can adjust smart lighting, secure smart door locks, make phone calls, and access entertainment from wherever they are. And smart speakers can help streamline your day as well. For moments when your hands are full, voice activation can allow access to important home features with less effort.

Other smart devices, like fitness trackers, blood pressure monitors, and pulse oximeters, can help you track health changes. Many devices can create records of past readings, giving you easy access to medical data for doctor’s appointments or home treatment. To learn more about the best technology for caregivers, visit our Discover & Learn hub for a detailed breakdown.

While technology can help simplify your caregiving duties, it’s important to find time to focus on your health too. Self-care may be challenging to incorporate into your hectic schedule, but caring for yourself is essential for avoiding caregiver burnout.

Recent reports from the AARP show that 21 percent of all caregivers feel alone. What’s more, these feelings of isolation seem to correlate strongly with caregivers who report poor health.See Disclosure ⁴ This means finding time for therapy or support group involvement can be incredibly important.

Fortunately, with modern advances, you can now connect with others virtually to get the emotional support you need. Telehealth lets you use your computer or tablet to check in with a caregiving support group without leaving the person you care for home alone. While your patient or loved one rests or partakes in activities that don’t require your involvement, you can find a quiet space to talk to your therapist or others on your laptop or smartphone.

Once you have support for your mind, you can integrate health practices for your body. In a 2020 study, caregivers reported significant changes to their diet and exercise since becoming caregivers. Sixty percent noted they now exercised less, and 47 percent stated that their diet was now worse.See Disclosure ⁵

 Incorporating helpful appliances like blenders for easy and nutritious smoothies and air-fryers for quick and healthy cooking can help simplify your preparation process while introducing more whole foods into your diet. And while extra physical activity may seem daunting, you can choose from a variety of exercise and fitness equipment to find the right method and intensity for your needs. If you want help figuring out how to make time for exercise in your busy schedule, visit our Discover & Learn hub for more information.

And lastly, never underestimate the power of quality sleep. Recent studies found that 76 percent of caregivers reported poor sleep quality.See Disclosure ⁶ While improving your mental and physical health can help combat caregiver fatigue, you may want to spend time ensuring you have the best sleep environment as well. White noise machines, blackout curtains, and a supportive mattress can all promote better rest at night and make wonderful additions to your sleep hygiene.

1. Gérain, Pierre and Zech, Emmanuelle. “Informal Caregiver Burnout? Development of a Theoretical Framework to Understand the Impact of Caregiving.” Frontiers in Psychology. July 31, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6689954/.

2. “Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 Report.” AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving. May 2020. https://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/full-report-caregiving-in-the-united-states-01-21.pdf.

3. “Resources for Caregivers.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. October 27, 2016. https://www.hhs.gov/programs/providers-and-facilities/resources-for-caregivers/index.html.

4. Ross, Alyson, Lena Jumin Lee, Leslie Wehrlen, Robert Cox, Li Yang, Avery Perez, Margaret Bevans and Alice Ding. “Factors That Influence Health-Promoting Behaviors in Cancer Caregivers.” Oncology Nursing Society. November 2020. https://onf.ons.org/onf/47/6/factors-influence-health-promoting-behaviors-cancer-caregivers.

5. Wolfson, A. and Sharkey, K. “How Adult Caregiving Impacts Sleep: A Systematic Review.” Current Sleep Medicine Reports, Springer Nature. October 29, 2016. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40675-016-0058-8.