With regards to caregivers, it is important to recognize the challenges and rewards of the position. It is a natural fit for people who are kind, empathetic, and understanding. For many, this role brings a sense of meaningful belonging; caregivers help others to interact with a world in which they might otherwise be unable to. But sometimes, and for a variety of reasons, the challenges can become overwhelming and the result is caregiver burnout.

Causes

The contributing factors to burnout are extensive. Generally, any situation that negatively affects the mental wellbeing of a caregiver can contribute to burnout. COVID-19 has compounded and added to these factors, meaning that the role is more difficult now than it has ever been before. Masks, physical distancing, and quarantine have introduced a set of constraints that sometimes put caregivers in impossible situations. When challenges are perceived to be insurmountable, burnout sets in.

Symptoms

Burnout is like a mental fatigue that grows to affect the entire body. It can cause people who are otherwise bubbly and sociable to become irritable and withdrawn. It can lead to sleep disruptions, exhaustion, and susceptibility to illness. Clearly, it is not a tenable situation to live with,

Prevention and Treatment

Every potential case of caregiver burnout arises from a completely unique set of circumstances. Recognition is the first step to combatting it. Whether the purposes are preventative or remedial, it is important to acknowledge that burnout is real. Focus on the potential causes of it, and try to find productive ways to change and lessen the impact of these causes.

COVID-19 has presented challenges to everybody. We are all being affected, and some of us have been more affected than others. Now, more than ever, it is important to be compassionate to our fellow humans. And so, there is one last--seemingly small--tip for fighting burnout: if there is a caregiver in your life, tell them that you appreciate them. Their jobs have always been a challenge, and COVID-19 has made their roles that much harder to perform. A bit of recognition and appreciation sometimes goes further than we might expect.

Cedarwood Station is an independent-living, senior community in Airdrie, Alberta, just north of Calgary. Guided by the tenets of Christian faith, and with a stellar staff and multiple amenities, Cedarwood Station, is the premier senior-living choice for the area.