While every live-in carer will agree that the work, we have chosen can be a rich and satisfying one, this is one career path that can lead to the health of the carer suffering without us even realising it.
We may spend time strengthening relationships between ourselves and our clients and ensuring that their lives are as comfortable as possible, often to the extent that our own health is neglected, and we fail to have the healthy lifestyle that we would like.
Evidence has shown that live-in carers can struggle with basic things like getting a good night’s sleep, maintaining a good diet, remaining in contact with our own loved ones, and having a good mental attitude. Our clients sometimes seem to take centre stage and our own life begins to suffer.
There is no doubt about it – working with clients is stressful. It may be less stressful or more stressful, but the bottom line is that this type of work is always stressful, and this will inevitably lead to a deterioration of the health of the carer, unless it is checked.
When we focus entirely on one person other than ourselves, on everything that they do, and everything that happens to them, we will automatically ignore what is going on with ourselves. It is highly likely that we will be feeling stressful without even being aware of the warning signs.
One of the first signs of stress is an overwhelming feeling of tiredness most of the time. You may notice a change in your sleeping habit and even a weight gain or loss which is unexplained.
Another common sign is when we start to lose interest in things that we normally would enjoy. Any hobby seems to be too much of a chore and simple things that we used to enjoy are left by the wayside.
The answer here is yes, although this is something that to achieve, needs planning and execution.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with your daily life with your client, you should not be afraid to ask for help. It is a common misconception that you will be thought of in a bad light because you have asked for help.
Often, what starts off as a workable placement escalates into a nightmare because situations change, clients need more care, night calls become the norm and life is general is far more hectic that when you first started at the client.
Unfortunately, many families have the opinion that if they ignore a situation, it will go away or cease to be an issue so the subject may never be raised unless the carer brings it up.
This is one of the first things that may fall by the wayside when things become overwhelming. Lots of extra work means less time for the carer and taking a break may simply cease to happen.
Never be tempted to do this. To retain your sanity, you must distance yourself from your client and anything related to them, even for two hours a day while you have a break. This is one of the easiest things places where we can be taken advantage of, and we must not allow this to happen.
If your client needs assistance during your break then speak to your agency, ask the family or next of kin, or even your client if they are able to discuss the issue. Never feel that you have been bullied or pushed into not having a break.
Even apart from the social media platforms, there are support groups online where you can join a chat group, vent some frustrations, and have discussions about things that are an issue in your life. These groups are a good place to meet likeminded people, even if only to message each other and talk about a situation.
It is vitally important in this job of live-in care that we stay in touch with our friends and loved ones. It is common knowledge that this can be a very lonely lifestyle, even in the midst of a big city, so maintaining contact with those we love is essential to a healthy lifestyle and also tom our mental health.
If you are so emotionally exhausted after two months at a placement, then make a plan to reduce the time. It is better to be in a placement for a shorter period and leave in a healthy frame of mind, than to leave at the end exhausted and mentally drained.
Now, understandably, many live-in carers come from other countries and being without work can be an issue. There are very affordable places where you can stay for a few days to take a break between placements.
Most social media platforms have other carers offering rooms where you can stay cheaply for a few days. There is no need to pay a fortune to get a short break and it is better than staying too long with a client and paying for it with your own health.
Find a time limit which seems to work for you and stick to it. Take that break if you need it.
Re-evaluate your own diet, your own exercise program, and the amount of relaxation you get every day. Keep a notebook about how you feel and what you did each day.
Even a small amount of exercise daily, such as a short walk will do wonders for your mental health. Evaluate your diet and opt for healthy versions such as extra fruit and veggies, rather than cakes and cookies.
Live-in care is not an easy career choice. Long hours, antisocial living conditions and often night calls are enough to leave any of us stressed out and not as healthy as we would like to be.
Small steps every day is the way to change this for the better. Keep a diary so that you can stay motivated, and you will see that the more little things you do to take care of yourself, the sooner you will find you have a healthier lifestyle and - more importantly - a better mental attitude.
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