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Taking Care: Resources for Caregivers
Caregiver to Caregiver Tip #1 - Self Care: Mind,
Body & Soul
Self care is not selfish and
it is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Self care is not only
vital for your own health and quality
of life but for the person you are caring for as well. Caregivers
who neglect self care run the risk of compromising their
own health, creating additional challenges to their caregiving
role and their individual well-being.
Although most caregivers recognize the importance
of self care, it can be a challenge to fit it in to a daily schedule.
If finding
time for yourself is a challenge, developing a self care
plan
can be very helpful.
What is Self Care?
Self care is anything that contributes to your emotional, spiritual,
physical and/or social rejuvenation enabling you to create balance
in your life while providing care for your family member or friend
with MS.
Developing Your Self Care Plan
The first step in developing a self care plan is to make a
list of current caregiving activities and other responsibilities.
The second step is to make a list of current self
care activities.
The goal is to achieve a balance between your responsibilities
and stresses and those activities that help to recharge and
maintain your health and quality of life.
Ask yourself how you are feeling right now.
If your current responsibilities significantly outweigh
your self care activities, think about ways that
you could
achieve
a better balance.
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KEEP doing things that you already do to rejuvenate and positively
contribute to your health and quality of life. Think about
starting new activities, or make use of existing services
that will enable you to recharge and achieve better balance in
your
life. Please see Resources for your Self Care Plan.
STOP doing things which are optional and only add to your
current responsibilities and stresses or things you can
ask others to
do in order to help lighten your load.
To help you get started on developing a self care plan we have
listed some suggested activities below. Your self care plan should
include activities that you feel will provide you with a sense
of balance and relaxation. The following are only examples of
what you may wish to include in your self care plan.
Emotional wellbeing:
- Participate in a caregiver self help
group or one-on-one peer support with another caregiver for
practical information-sharing
and emotional support.
- Seek emotional support from professional counsellors and/or
family and friends.
Spiritual wellbeing:
- Participate in regular spiritual activities that are important
to you (e.g. meditation, attending organized religious services).
- Get out and enjoy nature and fresh air.
Physical wellbeing:
- Maintain a balanced diet.
- Try to exercise regularly.
- Seek services to relieve you of some physical
caregiving tasks (for example, home care and attendant services,
home and yard maintenance
and cleaning services).
Social wellbeing:
- Maintain regular contact with family members and friends.
- Participate regularly in some of your
favorite recreational activities.
Intellectual wellbeing:
- "Knowledge is power"- seek out information
about MS and available resources so that you are better equipped
to deal with some of the challenges of caring for and supporting
a person living with MS.
Challenges and Barriers to Your Self Care
Some caregivers feel guilty for taking time for themselves
and/or are concerned about being seen as selfish or unsupportive
of
the person with MS if they take time to focus on their own
needs. Finding time for self care activities sometimes seems
impossible when there are so many other demands on your time.
The following strategies have been used by caregivers to help
overcome these challenges and barriers:
- RECOGNIZE that self care is a necessity not
a luxury and that it doesn’t just happen; it takes planning and scheduling.
- ACCEPT that you can't change certain things about your situation
(i.e. the fact that the person you are providing care for has
MS) but that you can make choices about your attitude and how
you cope with it.
- COMMUNICATE openly about your needs (especially withthe person
living with MS) and encourage them to do the same with you.
- SEEK support from others who will validate and encourage the
commitment you have made to your self care.
- EXPLORE your options. We are all unique individuals so your
self care should reflect that uniqueness. Self care can include
services, activities or items that provide opportunities for
a break, time off or relief from caregiving responsibilities.
- TAKE one step at a time. If a significant change is required
for you to achieve more balance in your life, don't try to do
it overnight. Make changes to your schedule when you feel ready.
Resources for Your Self Care Plan
MS Society of Canada Publications
A Guide for Caregivers. Available from your
chapter or division
office.
MS Society of Canada, Quebec Division. (2002). Caring and
Sharing, Spouses and Partners. Available online at www.mssociety.ca/qc/publicationsEn.htm#family
Other Publications
You Have Needs, Too. Beth Israel Medical Centre.
Available online at
www.stoppain.org/caregivers/pdf/5-youhaveneedstoo.pdf
This publication provides a self-care checklist and detailed
information and suggestions for examining and addressing your
emotional, social, physical and spiritual needs as a caregiver.
Note: The language used and resource information included in
this publication reflect the fact that it was created in an American
medical facility. The bulk of the content is relevant and useful
for caregivers of persons with MS in Canada.
Books
The following books may be available in a local public library,
MS Society chapter or division library, or purchased from a
local bookstore or online bookstore such as Amazon Book Store
www.amazon.ca
SELF CARE:
Caring For Yourself While Caring for Others. (1999)
By Lawrence Brammer
ISBN: 0533128765
Daily comforts for caregivers. (1999)
By Pat Samples
ISBN: 1577490886
Self care for caregivers: A twelve step approach. (2000)
By Pat Samples, Diane Larsen and Marvin Larsen
ISBN: 1568385609
The magic of humor in caregiving. (1995) (Part of the Caregiver
Survival Series)
By James R. Sherman
ISBN: 0935538194
Creative caregiving. (1996) (Part of the Caregiver Survival
Series)
By James R. Sherman
ISBN: 0935538178
Positive caregiver attitudes. (1996) (Part of the Caregiver
Survival Series)
By James R. Sherman
ISBN: 0935538186
STRESS AND CAREGIVING
Taking time for me: How caregivers can effectively deal with
stress. (1992)
By Katherine L. Karr
ISBN: 0879757965
Stress reduction for caregivers. (1999)
By Jodi L. Olshevski, A.D. Katz, & B.G Knight
ISBN: 0876309414
Self-care now! 30 Tips to help you take care of yourself & minimize
caregiver burnout. (2001)
By Pauline Salvucci
ISBN: 0970593910
Coping with caregiver worries. (1996) (Part of the Caregiver
Survival Series)
By James R. Sherman
ISBN: 0935538208
Preventing caregiver burnout. (1996) (Part of the Caregiver
Survival Series)
By James R. Sherman
ISBN: 093553816X
SPOUSES AND LOVED ONES
Caregiver's reprieve: A guide to emotional survival when
you're caring for someone you love. (1998)
By Avrene L. Brandt
ISBN: 1886230064
Surviving Your Spouse's Chronic Illness. (1999)
By Chris McGonigle
ISBN: 0805055738
Love, Honor & Value. (2002)
By Suzanne Geffen Mintz
ISBN: 1892123568
Note: Revised and updated version available in 2007.
Mainstay: for the Well Spouse of the Chronically Ill. (1997)
By Maggie Strong
ISBN: 0965717909
Note: Author does not recommend her book for caregivers in newly
diagnosed situation.
FAMILIES
Multiple sclerosis: A guide for families. (2005)
By Rosalind Kalb
ISBN: 1932603107
The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-By-Step Guide for
Multiple Sclerosis Caregivers (Paperback) (2007)
By Maria Meyer
ISBN: 096647676X
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