Your health

Are you so committed to caregiving tasks that you’ve neglected your own physical, mental, and emotional well-being?

The following questions may help you determine if you are putting your health at risk:

Do you visit your doctor annually?

The best thing you can do for the person with Alzheimer’s disease is to stay healthy.  Respect what your body is telling you.  Take exhaustion, stress, sleeplessness and changes in your appetite or behaviour seriously.  Ignoring these symptoms can cause your physical and mental health to decline.

Do you accept assistance from others?

You can’t do everything.  Attempting to handle everything yourself will only lead to burnout, depression and resentment toward the person you care for.  You are not failing as a caregiver by asking others for help.  When friends and family offer help, accept it.  Also look into community resources that offer respite from caregiving responsibilities.

Do you talk to others about your feelings?

You may think that no one understands what you are going through.  Holding in your feelings, however, will only make you feel isolated and emotionally neglected.  Sharing your experiences with others may help you put things into perspective.

Take care!

There are six simple steps you can take to ensure that you are a healthy caregiver:

1. See your doctor regularly.

2. Get screened for stress and depression.

3. Get plenty of rest.

4. Eat well-balanced meals.

5. Exercise regularly.

6. Accept help from others.