Care Giving: How to Survive

If you are giving care for someone over a period of time, it is important that you should also take care of yourself. Beware of falling prone to exhaustion, depression and feelings of isolation. There are ways of making this task bearable, if not easy.

Firstly, you should try to stick to a healthy diet and an exercise regime that will not only help you physically but will also allow you to relieve stress that may build up. Although it may not seem like there are enough hours in the day for all this, do set aside some time for yourself; some solitude where you can read a book or just be by yourself can be therapeutic. If possible, find a support network with people in similar positions to yourself.

You may be able to share and learn techniques for coping better with each day. In Canada, some provincial home care programs can provide a little respite care. This can allow you to have a few hours or even days off - this is important if you feel that the situation is becoming too hard to cope without a break. It may also be wise to take up a hobby, to make time to go out and spend time with friends in other words, let your hair down a little! It may seem inappropriate but your world must not consist merely of care giving and work. You will be in danger of falling into a state of mind that cannot pull itself out of the loop of stress and worry that can come with care giving.

Government subsidies

Some governments can offer a subsidized extended-care facility. Such places can offer some (not necessarily all) kinds of care. For example, some facilities might be able to offer a doctor who will be on call for any medical situations that may arise between his rounds. In addition to which, there may be nursing care provided if the patient requires regular injections, intravenous therapy, tending to bedsores and so forth.

There may also be the chance to experience regular personal care that can assist with such everyday needs as bathing, dressing and personal grooming. During the day there can be rehabilitation therapy, if required for such functions as speech, physical movement etc.

The government does not always run these government-
subsidized facilities; in fact many are privately owned and run for profit. In most Canadian provinces approximately 25% of care facility beds are privately owned; in Ontario the figure is closer to 50%. The facilities may be operated by the government and run as a non-profit business. Alternatively, some are owned by religious groups, ethnic groups or lay groups and again run as non-profit businesses.

There are alternatives to government subsidized care homes. Retirement homes are a popular choice as they provide meals, housekeeping staff, and round-the-clock nursing supervision with a doctor on call, aides for personal care and assistance with taking medication.

Supportive housing is ideal for people who do not require such intensive personal or nursing care. Assistance is mostly provided for cooking and cleaning as well as some moderate level of personal care. There are tax breaks for care in the form of tax credits and some limited tax deductions for expenses. Deductions can be claimed for personal tax credits, while in some other cases it may be another family member who claims the deductions. If there is a debate about who should claim the tax claim, it should probably focus on what is best for the family unit.

Adapted from: Margaret Kerr; Joann Kurtz "Facing a Death in the Family" (Canada) 1999