Welcome to Module 7, Session 1

Caregiver Support for Self Care

Step 1 of Caregiver Support for Self Care

Watch: “Intro to Self Care”

Introducing self-care tips that reduce stress and increase caregiver resilience.

The intense stress associated with caregiving contributes to caregiver burnout. In order to avoid reaching a point of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion, caregivers need to make self-care a priority.

This is the introduction to a series of caregiver self-care videos on CaregiverHelp.com, a video-based support program that helps people cope with the anger, guilt, depression and grief associated with caring for individuals who are aging, chronically ill or disabled.

Step 2 of Caregiver Support Getting Started

Download Workbook PDF

> Survival Plan.pdf (color)

> Black & White Version

Step number 3

Watch: “Take Time For Yourself”, “Get The Right Equipment”

Elaine Sanchez shares caregiver survival tips about the importance of taking time for yourself and getting the right equipment.

Caregiver burnout is common among people who don’t take care of their own physical, mental and spiritual well-being while they are caring for people who are aging, chronically ill or disabled.

Caregiver speaker, Elaine K Sanchez, www.EKSanchez.com, shares practical caregiver survival tips based on excepts from her book, “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver”.

This is the first in a series of caregiver survival tips on www.CaregiverHelp.com, a video-based support program developed by Elaine K Sanchez and Dr. Alex Sanchez.

Step Number 4

Watch: “Get Out in Nature”, “Learn Something New”

Elaine Sanchez shares caregiver self-care tips about the benefits of getting out in nature and learning something new.

When caregivers don’t pay attention to their own physical, mental and spiritual well-being, they are more likely to experience caregiver burnout. Caregiver speaker, Elaine K Sanchez, www.EKSanchez.com, shares practical caregiver survival tips based on excepts from her book, “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver”.

Step 5

Watch: “Take Care of Yourself Physically”, “Stay Connected Socially”

Elaine Sanchez shares caregiver self-care tips about the importance of caring for oneself physically and staying connected socially.

Caregivers who don’t pay attention to their own physical, mental and spiritual well-being are prone to caregiver burnout, especially if they are caring for people who have Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases.

Caregiver speaker, Elaine K Sanchez, www.EKSanchez.com, shares practical caregiver survival tips based on excepts from her book, “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver”.

Watch: “Redefine Fun”, “Savor Happy Memories”

Elaine Sanchez shares caregiver self-care tips about the how to redefine fun and the value of savoring happy memories.

When caregivers pay attention to their own physical, mental and spiritual well-being they are less likely to experience caregiver burnout. When taking care of people who have Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases, sled-care needs to be as high a priority as caring for the care receiver.

Watch: “Ask for and Accept Help”, “Develop Your Spiritual Nature”

Elaine Sanchez shares self-care tips about the importance of caregivers asking for help and developing their spiritual nature.

When caregivers don’t devote any time or attention to their own self-care, it’s more likely that they’ll experience caregiver burnout, which is a state of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual exhaustion.

When taking care of people who have Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases, the value of self-care can not be over-estimated.

Watch: “Control Your Thinking”, “Accept Death as a Part of Life”

Elaine Sanchez shares caregiver self-care tips about the importance of controlling your thinking and accepting death as a part of life.

When caregivers spend the time and energy to meet their own physical, mental and emotional needs, they are less likely to experience the extreme stress that leads to caregiver burnout.

When taking care of people who have Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases, caregivers need to make self-care as high a priority as caring for the care receiver.

Watch: “Saying Goodbye to a Loved One”

How to say everything you want a loved one to know while they’re still alive and have the ability to hear you.

Caregiver Speaker, Elaine K. Sanchez, http://www.elaineksanchez.com/ talks about how the death of a beloved pet influenced how she chose to say to goodbye to her mother.

One way to take care of yourself as a caregiver is to make sure you say everything you want your loved ones to know before they die. Forgiving old misunderstandings and grudges, expressing love and gratitude, and giving them the opportunity to express their feelings about death can help our care receiver end his/her life well. It not only helps the care receiver die with a peaceful heart, it also helps the caregiver go forward in his/her life without regrets.

Grief is a complicated process, and each person’s experience with the loss of a loved one is unique. There is nothing anyone can do to eliminate the pain and sadness associated with the death of someone we care about, but when there is nothing left unsaid or undone, the healing process can be much easier.

Watch: “Laughter Really is the Best Medicine”

Elaine Sanchez shares a humorous story about marriage and caregiving.

Caregiver Speaker, Elaine K Sanchez, www.EKSanchez.com, talks about how laughter helped her mother cope with the emotional stress of caregiving.

Caregiving is stressful. People who are caring for individuals who have Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other progressive and degenerative diseases often suffer caregiver burnout as a result of the emotional stress associated with caregiving. Humor can help.

Action Step - Survival Plan