According to Psalm 90:10, an average lifespan is about 70 years, with the possibility of living up to 80 years if we’re strong. I always like to add that we can live until older than 100 with the help of modern medicine. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re completely healthy in those later years. Living longer than previous generations can exacerbate chronic disease, wear and tear on joints, cognitive decline, and poor health.
It also places more and more people in caregiving roles.
A 2015–17 survey found that more than 24 percent of U.S. adults between 45 and 64 years of age serve as caregivers. These roles can persist for decades and be emotionally and physically debilitating. More than half of the caregivers indicated that a decline in their health has compromised their ability to provide adequate care. The greater the medical issues of the person needing care, the more intense the caregiving demands can be.
When patients need hospitalized rehabilitation, it can place an even greater burden on a caregiver who was already overloaded. Depending on what was needed before, they should expect more of the same and then some.
Caregiving is a complex subject requiring different approaches for conditions such as cardiac pathology, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, amputation, post-stroke disability, and dementia care, which are extensive enough to warrant separate articles.
This article will focus on how to best navigate unexpected hospitalization or rehabilitation from a caregiver’s perspective. When it comes to rehabilitation, it’s crucial to take care of the caregiver, who is often the only source of support for the hospitalized patient. This is important to ensure the success of rehabilitation and the eventual discharge back home.
Here are seven ways that caregivers can make unexpected hospitalization or rehabilitation more manageable and less stressful.
Anticipate Hospitalization
“Hospitalization episodes, on average, increase as we age,” Carmen Yon, an occupational therapist with more than 35 years of experience, told The Epoch Times. “Knowing that hospitalizations are more likely, it makes sense to be prepared for them.”
Unexpected hospitalizations for care-receiving individuals can be extremely stressful for their caregivers, with so many things happening at once.
Don’t Do It Alone
Caregivers often sacrificially shelter the person they’re caring for by assuming all of the decision-making responsibilities during hospitalizations. It’s far better to have a preestablished plan for help, whereby benevolent friends or family members can assist from an outside perspective. Sometimes, caregivers are so deeply involved that they struggle to get a broader perspective on the situation.
In a rehabilitation setting, we often encounter situations in which patients and caregivers want the patient to go back home, but other family members or friends insist on placing the patient in long-term care. This can create a lot of stress for the caregiver, especially if they are a family member or spouse.
Having other like-minded people involved can support both the patient and the caregiver. Establishing their role in advance always works best. When seeking immediate assistance, ensuring that the individual is capable and aligned with your concerns is important.
Reduce Caregiver Fatigue
Vincent Zaun, an experienced nursing home administrator, recommends being proactive about caring for yourself as a caregiver.
“Caregiver fatigue is very real and often sneaks up on you. You never see it coming, and then eventually discover that you are completely burned out,” he told The Epoch Times.
He advised exploring short-term respite care opportunities and adult daycare facilities to help ease the burden and ensure that caregivers don’t burn out.
Make Time to Attend Therapy
When caring for someone going through rehab, caregivers often find themselves busy organizing and getting things ready. However, attending therapy sessions can be more beneficial, as it allows you to better understand different perspectives from occupational, physical, and speech therapies.
“All caregivers could make the process of caregiving a lot easier by attending therapy sessions, seeing for themselves all of the nuances involved and how the patient is progressing. This also allows us to actively teach you how to maximize your ability to care for your loved one,” Cynthia Wiley, a director of rehabilitation with decades of experience, told The Epoch Times.
This allows you to keep track of important dates, appointments, questions, and other things that require planning and memory.
Participating in therapy sessions can provide caregivers with more information and training, preventing critical information from being lost in translation.
Keep a Pen and Paper at Hand
Caregivers often experience mental overload while trying to absorb a lot of new information. With so much to remember, it can be helpful to carry a notepad and pen with you at all times so you can keep track of everything. This allows you to record timelines, plan for appointments, and jot down questions and other important information that requires memory and planning. Writing down information can alleviate future stress and provide easy access to reference later.
Please Speak Up
Some caregivers can be difficult to understand or read. As therapists, we do our best to educate, train, and update caregivers and encourage them to ask questions. We understand that many caregivers may not want to bother us with their questions, but we are always available to help.
Health care professionals love to teach and train; we consider it a blessing when caregivers voice their concerns and questions. Caregiver feedback not only helps us address questions but also gives us valuable insight into how you’re feeling. As rehabilitation professionals, we care about the patient’s progress and your well-being as a caregiver.
Keep a Timeline
The whole hospitalization experience can leave caregivers in a whirlwind, and keeping a timeline of what has happened and what is coming up—things such as appointments, discharge dates, care conference dates, and so on—can help keep you organized and reduce your stress.
Although this could have been included in the earlier “pen and paper” section, I included it separately to give it the emphasis it deserves.
Caregivers are often bombarded with questions from family and friends. Having a separate timeline of relevant information allows for quick and effortless communication.
Group texting can be an effective way to share information, but many older adults may not be familiar with or adept at using smartphones. Being able to easily recall and access information is more important than how it’s recorded and disseminated.
Caring for others can be an incredibly challenging and complicated task, and it can take a significant toll on the caregiver. It’s essential to seek support and resources to help manage the difficulties associated with caregiving. Consulting your doctor or the physician of the person you are caring for can be a valuable way to access these resources. Despite the challenges, caregiving is a noble pursuit filled with sacrifice and love.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.