On average, family caregivers spend nearly 25 hours a week taking care of family members and 1 in 4 of those caregivers spend more than 40 hours a week providing care, according to Dr. John Burkhardt, a clinical psychologist at University Medical Center.
“These hours can oftentimes lead to care burnout,” Burkardt shared during a Mini Medical School presentation in February. Mini Medical School is a series of lectures provided each semester through a collaboration of UA’s OLLI program and College of Community Health Sciences, which operates UMC.
Approximately 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months, Burkhardt said. Studies show that 75% of all caregivers are female.
Burnout occurs when caregivers’ roles are too demanding and they aren’t getting the help they need, and when they have unrealistic expectations, believing their involvement can have a positive effect on the health and happiness of the patient, Burkhardt said. Symptoms of caregiver burnout include physical and emotional exhaustion, guilt and fatigue.
Burkhardt said burnout can lead caregivers to neglect their own emotional and physical health. Those who suffer from caregiver burnout may deal with changes in sleep, weight and appetite, as well as anxiety, depression or irritability, he said.
Compassion fatigue is different from caregiver burnout. Burkhardt said — “It’s an extreme state of tension and stress that can result in feelings of hopelessness, indifference, pessimism and overall disinterest in other people’s issues,” he said. Simply, he said, it’s a cumulative effect resulting from caregiving responsibilities that are often unrecognized, seemingly endless, emotionally demanding and physically exhausting.
Burkhardt shared that there are ways to prevent caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue: know your limits, make time for yourself and join a caregiver support group. He also said that taking five minutes to yourself each day or working on mindfulness and positive psychology exercises can spark a big difference. Burkhardt also recommended practicing abdominal breathing and writing a letter of gratitude to someone with the person you are taking care of.
For resources and help, visit this link for a caregiver assessment or visit websites such as The Area Agency on Aging of West Alabama.
The Mini Medical School program has been presented by CCHS faculty since 2016. It provides an opportunity for community learners to explore trends in medicine and health, and the lectures offer important information about issues and advances in medicine and research.