Care giving professionals are notoriously poor at looking after themselves; they give part of themselves everyday, see people at their lowest and most vulnerable. As well as being exposed to the physical trauma, they deal with acute psychological distress on a daily basis; their own and of others. Learning to still follow your dreams and have personal goals, many just put their life on a back burner and let others take over. This is a dangerous trait, as it leads to unhappiness, stress, discontentment and burnout. Many great people are leaving all areas of caring, because they feel they are running on empty. Giving excuses and blame for this to others, will not change anything. Take charge of your life, your choices and your outcomes. This to a carer will sound selfish, but in reality; what is going to happen to your patients when you are absent minded, make mistakes, get upset or angry, when you burnout and are no longer able to care for yourself, or them. Looking after yourself is not a luxury - it is a necessity, being resilient, knowing your boundaries and learning to say no, are fundamental for your wellbeing and for your patients. Learn how to off load self sabotaging thoughts, beliefs and habits. Choose what internal and external baggage you carry with you. Dump outdated thoughts, replace them with a more positive, protective and proactive outlook, to achieve better outcomes. Caring for the wellbeing of others is a fundamental part of you, but learning to care about yourself seems to take a lot of work. Seeing your needs, wants and desires as equal to everyone else, is a must. By keep giving small pieces of yourself to everyone else, when do you have time, energy or inclination to give to yourself? Compassion Fatigue is not acknowledge in the Northern Hemisphere, but the feeling of running on empty is undoubtedly known to all professions, volunteers and home carers. It is a silent killer, a demon that will take you emotionally, psychologically and physically to exhaustion. There are ways for you to feel better, to learn to love yourself and to live the life you desire and deserve, as well as giving to others. You have to take control and get rid of outdated thoughts, beliefs and habits. To be not just the best professional you can be, but the best person for you and for others.

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

Take care of yourself as you care for others with this accessible, easy-to-follow self-care guide to relax and rejuvenate. It’s been said that there are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will become caregivers, and those who will need caregivers. Chances are you or someone you know is taking care of a loved one at home. If you do, you also know that caregiving—however fulfilling—is also hard on the caregiver’s mental and physical health. Self-care is vital to caregivers maintaining stamina and a positive outlook for both themselves and the people they care for. But being so busy caring for others can make it hard to find time for yourself. In Self-Care for Caregivers, you’ll find short, easy-to-read—and often easy-to-do—ways to replenish your mind, body, and spirit, including: -Practicing mindfulness by focusing in on your five senses -Remembering to HALT to check if you’re hungry, angry, lonely, or tired -Making a gratitude list of at least three things you're grateful for -And much more! Full of practical advice and reminders to have a quick snack, call a friend, create a sanctuary, write in a journal, and more ways to take care yourself—plus resources for caregiving—this book will go a long way towards making your caregiving experience a happier and more healthful one for you and the people you care for.

Linda Abbit, founder of Tender Loving Eldercare and a veteran of the caregiving industry, shares her advice on taking care of an older parent or loved one and how to handle everything that goes along with this dramatic life change. Being a caregiver can be a difficult role. It requires patience, tenderness, selflessness, and hard work. Providing care for someone, whether it’s a parent, a loved one, or as a professional requires a high level of self-love and self-care. But while it may be a rewarding experience to care for a loved one, the emotional and physical stress of caregiving can lead to burnout and exhaustion—causing caregivers to put themselves and their own well-being in the background. How can you fulfill your role as a caregiver without losing yourself? Conscious Caregiver teaches you how to navigate caring for your loved one, whether it’s full-time in-house caregiving or hiring support from outside services. With information on how to talk to your loved ones about the situation, handle the emotional stress, stay financially secure, and take the time to care for yourself, this guide can help you care for your loved one and yourself at the same time.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

"Caring for the Family Caregiver is an extensive practical tool kit for health care providers across the healthcare continuum. Regardless if it is a mother caring for a child with a developmental disability, a wife caring for a husband with a long term chronic illness, or a daughter sitting at the bedside of her father who is enrolled in hospice, family caregivers are the silent "other patient" in the health care drama. Healthcare providers who do not attend to the needs of the caregiver not only inflict interactional suffering, but dilute their treatment by not engaging the caregiver as a partner. In fact, they may unintentionally do harm as the caregiver flounders and thus patient treatment fails. As noted by one dying cancer patient in an educational YouTube video of his cancer journey, "there are two patients not one." If we are to eliminate the interactional suffering experienced by family caregivers, we must train both the caregiver and the health care team for the important interaction and roles that are required for the successful care of the patient. Caregivers lack information, skills, and emotional support for the tireless task they are volunteering for. They need to be taught how to advocate for themselves and their patients and how to best communicate with the health care team. Likewise, health care providers have the skills and knowledge to provide outstanding patient centered care; however, they are not taught the importance of the family caregiver, nor do they always understand that experience or how to help"--

"In Helping Yourself Help Others, former first lady Rosalynn Carter draws upon her own experiences and those of hundreds of others to offer reassuring, practical advice to caregivers. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic inspired national conversations about the vast undervaluing of unpaid caregiving, the dangers of burnout, and the merits of self-care for relief, Rosalynn Carter was shining a light on these matters and everything else that caregivers confront"--

As professional caregivers working with people who are dying we face challenges other health care professionals do not. We must keep ourselves balanced and healthy amid constant sadness. We must create a fulfilling work environment. And we must maintain a happy, engaged, personal life.Health care workers are traditionally trained to make people better, not participate in their patient's dying and eventual death. End of life work goes against all we as professionals have been taught.This booklet is short and easy to read. It is filled with ideas and guidance for the nurse, social worker, nurse's aide, chaplain, physician, end of life doula, or Eleventh Hour volunteer. Anyone who is immersed in the responsibilities of supporting, educating, and guiding a person and their family through the dying experience can find insight into making their work healthier.

"The Caregiving Trap" combines the authentic life and professional experience of Pamela D. Wilson, who provides recommendations for overwhelmed and frustrated caregivers who themselves may one day need care. "The Caregiving Trap" includes stories about Pamela's actual personal and professional experience along with end of chapter exercises to support caregivers. Common caregiving issues include: A sense of duty and obligation to provide care that damages family relationships Emotional and financial challenges resulting in denial of care needs Ignorance of predictive events that result in situations of crises or harm Delayed decision making and lack of planning resulting in limited choices Minimum standards of care supporting the need for advocacy

For those serving as a caregiver for a loved one, the authors of this down-to-earth, encouraging book can help you make the most of the experience without losing yourself in the process. Are you one of the growing number of people who serves as a caregiver for an aging or chronically ill friend or family member? If so, you probably struggle to meet both their special needs and still find time and resources for yourself. But now there is reason to take heart. The authors of this down-to-earth, encouraging book can help you make the most of the experience without losing yourself in the process. Using the Twelve Steps as a guide, the authors conduct readers through the pitfalls of caregiving--the emotional snarls and strains, daily struggles, competing needs, and questions about confronting pain--providing hope and tangible suggestions on how to stay strong and sane while providing healthy support and love. Self-Care for Caregivers offers sensitive and sensible guidance for the family caregiver. "This is a little book with a big message: how to take care of yourself so you can take care of others." - Connie Goldman, producer of the public radio special Hardship into Hope, The Rewards of Caregiving; co-author of Tending the Earth, Mending the Spirit and Secrets of Becoming a Late Bloomer "This book is an uplifting treasury of hope. The authors gently direct the reader with comforting, practical text that offers empowering caregiving strategies and avenues for emotional and spiritual growth." - James and Merlene Sherman, author and editor of the Caregiver Survival series.