Family Caregivers BC

Family Caregiver Resources

Tips for dealing with the health care system

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By Wendy Johnstone

Mrs. B is 70 years old was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease five years ago. She is on the highest dosage of a “memory pill” and is well supported at home with her spouse. She is very functional and maintains a high level of independence and quality of life. But cracks are starting to show. Three months ago she fell and hit her head hard resulting in blood on her brain and notably, a decline in her memory loss. Her physician felt it would be important to monitor over a few months to see how well she “bounced back”. Mrs. B also presents very well and most times when people meet her, they don’t understand just how affected she is by her memory loss. As she and her spouse went to see her physician today to make some decisions about her medication, a memory test was given. The physician was shocked at how poorly she did. Her spouse wasn’t as shocked. Mrs. B was devastated and was grief-stricken with news of her advancing loss. [Read more…]

Living With Chronic Pain

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By Wendy Johnstone

Chronic pain can be overwhelming. Chronic pain is different for everyone and finding out what works to help manage it might take some trial and error. Caring for someone else while in pain adds an extra layer of complexity. Sarah, 55, lives with fibromyalgia and is a caregiver to her spouse who is recovering from a stroke. She is in pain most of the day and fights her fatigue. Sarah feels frustrated because her husband can’t see her pain and often forgets about her disease. She often feels anxious about the future and overwhelmed with her life. Given her circumstances, it’s a normal response. However, there are things Sarah and other family caregivers in pain can do to ease their struggle.

Put yourself first: Prioritizing self-care isn’t easy. Caregivers can especially feel they need to do it all or feel guilty about taking time for themselves. One of the best places to start is simply being kinder to ourselves with the same understanding and care we’d give to a friend, a stranger or the person for whom we are caring. Doing this one thing can lead to increased resiliency and better coping.

Pause before saying yes. Sometimes we just say yes automatically. We feel emotionally tied to a situation or we feel an enormous amount of guilt, and before we think about what saying yes may involve, the word slips out of our mouths. Sometimes, this ends up following us and becomes a standard we try to attain or maintain long term.

Draw the line: Setting boundaries and being a resilient family caregiver is about recognizing the importance of our own life, especially if trying to manage chronic pain. Striving towards caregiving within our limits isn’t easy, but it is necessary. It doesn’t mean we aren’t dedicated to caring. Quite the opposite. Setting boundaries allows caregivers to continue caring with compassion and devotion, instead of feeling lost or consumed by their caregiving role.

Watch your language: Dealing with chronic pain brings up a range of emotions. Sarah expressed her tendency towards negatives feelings. Acknowledging that life is imperfect and holding space and comfort for ourselves in the face of difficult times is a fine balance. Research shows that dwelling too long on negative thoughts can make it more challenging to move forward.

Unplug from being a caregiver: It may start with 10 minutes a day and could be as simple as having a cup of coffee or tea to create a pause in the day. The key is plugging into something that provides pleasure and peace and a chance to step away from your responsibilities amid your own pain.

Live Plan Be offers free online self-management tools for people living with chronic pain. Find out more at www.liveplanbe.ca

Caregivers in Distress – A Growing Problem

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Family Caregivers of BC is pleased BC’s Seniors Advocate is once again raising the issue of caregiver distress. In the current report “Caregivers in Distress – A Growing Problem”, she points to a 7% increase in the percentage of Home Support clients who have a primary caregiver in distress, which equates to roughly 1,000 caregivers; a 14% increase in actual numbers since her first report “Caregivers in Distress – More Respite Needed” was published in 2015.

These numbers reflect only the caregivers whose care recipients are receiving Home Support services. There are many more caregivers in the community whose loved ones are not Home Support clients. You can read the full report here.

These findings reinforce what we experience daily on the front lines of caregiver support. Call volumes to our Province-wide Caregiver Support Line are growing, and many caregivers are coping with increasingly complex caregiving situations. We are spending more time on each call and many are referred to our 1:1 Caregiver Coaching service to receive in depth support. We’re noting more caregivers are distressed which translates into feelings of depression, confusion, overwhelm, and uncertainty about how they can continue.

We support family caregivers by referring them to caregiver support groups, resources in their local communities, service options from our online resource library, our quarterly newsletter, and our educational webinars. We also provide assistance in setting up peer led caregiver support groups.

It is our mandate to ensure no one provides care alone. We work hard to ensure the voice of family caregivers is represented in health system design and implementation, and that health care providers are aware of important role they can play in identifying and referring family caregivers to our services.