Things You Should Know as a Family Caregiver

Around 40 million Americans today are unpaid family caregivers who are responsible for the numerous medical needs of their family members. Family caregivers provide their loved ones with an average of 24 hours of care a week, which may in turn make it hard for caregivers to take care of themselves. For this purpose, it is important that family caregivers are familiar with various stress coping strategies.

Taking care of a loved one who suffers from multiple health issues is highly demanding on the time, resources, and emotions of the caregiver, and can contribute to feeling exhausted and depressed by the caregiver. The feelings of family caregiver burnout can be decreased by using these coping mechanisms:

Make sure you take care of yourself and allow yourself a break because taking care of another person does not involve your whole life. Set goals to create a routine for yourself, including setting a schedule for exercise, consuming nutritious foods, and drinking plenty of water.

• Using online tools that can help you grasp the problems you face and deal with them. This includes the Community Resource Finder, which services the area to find helpful programs and resources.

• Use a shared source to inform family and friends on the status of your loved one, because it can get tiring to discuss the situation personally with others. Posting on a page of a private social media community that allows you to simultaneously send your updates to everyone will alleviate some of the burden imposed on you.

• Join support groups in order to communicate with someone in a similar situation. Talking to anyone who has faced similar issues will give you multiple insights and solutions.

Via Medicare, family members may also obtain support for their loved ones, receiving both financial aid assistance and applying for caregiver services.

Also Read : Does Medicare Pay for Home Health Care?

If the person being cared for is claimed as a dependent, caregivers may be liable for tax breaks, which means that he/she lives with the caregiver while the caregiver provides more than half of his/her financial help. A caregiver may also be entitled to claim tax deductions on dependent care credit and/or medical expenses, and Medicaid may also offer coverage for time spent providing care.

In addition, caregivers, including hospice care, part-time skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, will be eligible to access home health care assistance.

It is important for caregivers to take care of themselves and understand where and how they can get additional support from Medicare services when caring for a loved one.

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