Caregiving for a loved one can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience. It can also be difficult and exhausting. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help manage the stress of caregiving.
Listen in as five Mayo Clinic doctors share the advice they give caregivers.
We asked Mayo Clinic experts: What's your best advice for caregivers?
Nipunie Rajapakse, M.D., M.P.H., Pediatric Infectious Diseases: I think it's really important that caregivers take time to take care of themselves — making sure that you're taking breaks, that you have help, and that you are attending to your own health and well-being.
Jacob Strand, M.D., Palliative Care: The most important piece is to, number one, understand what your resources are within the community. There are a lot of resources that a lot of people don't fully realize are present to help support them.
Sevann Helo, M.D., Urology: Talk to your loved ones about what's important to them and what they want to prioritize. And if there's an area that they'd like to improve, then help them find the right professional to do so.
Rekha Mankad, M.D., Cardiovascular Medicine: It's OK to be a little selfish. I say this to women all the time because a lot of my female patients take care of spouses and children and they take care of themselves last, and we always talk about the fact that they should actually do the exact opposite and take care of themselves first. Because if they got sick, then it affects everybody else in the household.
Farris Timimi, M.D., Cardiovascular Medicine: Sometimes you need to take a break. And that's OK. It's OK to be tired. It's OK to be frustrated. It's OK to be angry. But realize when those moments occur, you need to step away and make time for yourself to recover as well.
Jacob Strand, M.D., Palliative Care: It is really tough to be a caregiver. And you're not going to get everything right. And, in fact, there is no right. The goal is really that you're able to do this, you know, more of a marathon than a sprint. And, so, to be able to give yourself some grace through that process.
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