Carrying the burden of caring for others

STANDARD — Caregivers know the difficulty in maintaining a sense of normalcy in their lives, and those with a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease face additional stress.

However, caregivers must also provide care for themselves if they wish to be able to continue. A program hosted at the Putnam County Community Center on Feb. 8 focused on helping caregivers both identify and resolve the common problems they face.

“Isolation in caregivers is common; it’s a lonely journey, and it can be hard to find someone to talk to,” Jenna Wachtveitl, an educator with the Central Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, said.

Wachtveitl said providing care for someone with memory loss is both a labor of love and exhausting and stressful.

“We’re seeing an increase in health problems with caregivers. Their focus becomes completely on those they’re caring for, and they begin ignoring the warning signs of their own health problems. If they continue, they can end up not being able to continue the care of their loved one,” she said.

Wachtveitl said a loss of relationships, frustration, fear, guilt, anxiety, depression and exhaustion are all things that caregivers must learn to recognize within themselves and learn to combat.

“Perception is a big part of caregiving, and negative self-talk can creep in and affect you in many ways. It’s OK to seek help. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and it’s important to know how to deal with these issues appropriately,” she said.

Wachtveitl stressed the need for caregivers, those they’re caring for, and their families to have the difficult conversations early on in order to avoid conflicts and future guilt, saying, “It’s best not to make promises because you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”

Families must work together to solve their issues for everyone’s best interest. Wachtveitl said a good way to keep things in the proper perspective is to realize it’s not “you vs. me; it’s you and me vs. the problem.”

She said caregivers are more likely than others to miss doctor’s appointments and not reschedule them.

“Caregivers often laugh off suggestions of rest and relaxation, but they must realize if they don’t deal with their stress and exhaustion, it will cause physical problems,” Wachtveitl said.

She said it’s a necessity for caregivers to continue to do what they’ve always enjoyed.

“Church may not be the same, your time with your friends may not be the same, but you have to adapt to the situation and find a way in which you can continue to participate in what you enjoy,” she said.

Wachtveitl advised caregivers to focus on the things they have control over and to think of the things their loved ones can do rather than those that they can’t.

She said finding the silver lining in things, sharing feelings, a proper diet, rest, and avoiding the tunnel vision often associated with caregiving are all important aspects of acceptance and the lowering of dangerous stress.

The Alzheimer's Association offers caregivers a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week helpline that caregivers can utilize by calling 1-800-272-3900. There are several webinars available that can be found at www.ALZWebinars.org, and additional help is located at www.alz.org/illinois. There's also a Caregiver Buddy app for smartphones that provides immediate access to care tips and easy contact with the helpline.

For more information on the services provided through the Putnam County Community Center, visit www.pcaservices.org or call 815-339-2711.