It goes without saying that caring for individuals who live with disabilities is a profoundly noble task – it is fulfilling and rewarding but often can be accompanied by a set of factors that lead to physical, emotional, as well as psychological exhaustion of the carer. Because it is a demanding and active role, it can more often than not lead to fatigue and eventual burnout.
When it comes to disability accommodation and supported independent living under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), it becomes especially important to address, understand, and help deal with carer burnout. In this blog, we will explore the reasons, indications, and solutions for carer fatigue and burnout to help people.
Before we dive into the causes and signs, it is crucial to understand:
What exactly is carer burnout?
Carer burnout or fatigue is when the caregiving person reaches a level of physical as well as mental enervation because of the persistent and intense responsibilities of caregiving. Such exhaustion can stem from having to meet the relentless and recurring demands of providing care consistently.
Such burnout becomes particularly predominant if there is not enough support or respite available at the caregiver’s disposal. Anyone in a caregiving role can suffer from burnout – family members, volunteers, or even professional carers working with disability home care services.
Causes for carer burnout
Emotional responsibility
It is needless to say caring for an individual with a disability is an intense responsibility. It can often lead to severe emotional stress as it involves having to deal with a number of complex and difficult situations. This can cause the caregivers to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and even guilty at times – these feelings if piled up can lead to eventual burnout.
Physical demands
The NDIS Accommodation offers personalised assistance with self-care for individuals with disabilities. One can get help with every task one needs – however, from the perspective of the caregiver, it can involve a number of physically demanding tasks such as managing sizeable medical equipment, as well as providing manual support to patients ie. lifting them, bathing, and more.
Insufficient support
A lot of times, caregivers can feel isolated and burdened with responsibility. If this feeling is perpetuated, they can feel unsupported and invalidated. They might also feel like there is an inadequacy of resources available at their disposal, insufficient and inefficient respite care, as well as emotional support.
Signs for carer burnout to look out for
When it comes to identifying signs of carer burnout, be it a family member or a professional employed within the disability field, there are some clear-cut indications you must keep an eye out for. Caregivers can exhibit a number of physical symptoms. Examples of burnout can look like; frequently falling sick, consistent weariness and fatigue, difficulty falling asleep, as well as changes in weight and appetite.
Other than the above mentioned, the other signs you might also notice are them being more irritable or moodier than usual, anxious, or generally emotionally low. They might also have difficulties concentrating with a lingering sense of forgetfulness and may appear more frequently overwhelmed. You might also notice them withdrawing from social situations, procrastinating in personal activities, or even employing unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Ways to tackle carer burnout
Ensure to seek support
When it comes to NDIS accommodation and services, carers can seek professional registered health professionals who can help them address this issue better. (reword its not an “issue)
“Therapists” can guide them to feeling better by sharing healthy coping strategies and techniques.
Other than this, caregivers can also participate in support groups that can lessen the feelings of loneliness by encouraging shared experiences as well as practical bits of advice on how to deal with the overwhelm. Carers can also seek support by way of respite services that enable them to take some time off and relax, and be sure that their loved ones are safe and supported.
Support professionals can seek additional supports from their work place. Each company can provide additional free counselling to assist in prevention and care or carer burnout.
Prioritise self-care
Disability home care services offer support to people with disability, however, even the caregivers require support and breaks from time to time. To do so and avoid burnout, carers should prioritise self-care – they should focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, consuming balanced meals, and getting proper sleep. They can also practice meditation and such other relaxation techniques to regulate their emotional responses.
Focus on smaller tasks
If the carer focuses on all their tasks as a whole, it is sure to overwhelm them. Instead, they should simply break down the tasks into manageable chunks and focus on getting them done. They can make to-do lists for the day and go through them in order to be organised and calm.
Final thoughts
To sum it up, as far as supported independent living and disability accommodations are concerned, the NDIS also recognises the challenges faced by caregivers. It is crucial to ensure that the carers do not run out of energy, leading to their burnout. It becomes crucial to address this concern and create an environment of compassion and appreciation even for the carers.
