At 01:16 PM 7/9/96 -0400, Bob Howard wrote:
>Roy -- Welcome to the PD net. I'm sure you will enjoy it and find it useful.
>
> I am a caregiver for Lorraine, 76/11 and am experiencing a certain amount
>of burnout. Participation in this net is one of the things that keep me
>reasonably sane.
>
Eight Sure Steps To Caregiver Burnout
"Go it alone." You really don't need help from friends, family, and other
caregivers.
Don't pursue your own activities. Your whole life should revolve around
concentrating on the illness. And never do anything silly, just for
yourself - you might forget for a moment the horrible situation the illness
placed you and your loved ones in.
Forget about planning time for yourself alone or with others. If you
leave your "patient" alone or in someone else's care for a few hours, who
knows what might happen?
Don't set limits on caregiving activities. This is a 24-hour, 7 day a
week job; in order to do it right, you need to respond to every request,
right away!
Spend holidays alone with the PWHD. Or, better yet, arrange a stressful
holiday gathering with as much activity as possible, to prove that the PWHD
is "the same as he or she ever was"!
Engrave your plans in stone. It's much better to "forget the whole thing"
than to remain flexible and risk having an "alternative" good time. If the
PWHD can't fully participate, he or she should just sit the whole thing
out.
It's a waste of time to plan low energy recreation just for one person.
Better to force him or her to participate as everyone else does - constant
failure will reinforce the depressed outlook we are trying so hard to
maintain.
Finally, never laugh about anything connected with the illness. This is a
serious topic - there is no humor in adversity.
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