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What do you do when your energy is spent?
Caregiving can be extremely exhausting. My Mom asked my to take my Dad on a road trip to Florida this Winter. She whispered that she’s really tired and could use a hand. Hearing her say as much got me wondering what other caregivers do when they feel spent. What do you do? Do you have people you can lean on for help? Are you able to get outside support?
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2 Replies
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The biggest difference for me has been getting more hands on deck.
My charge, an elderly relative, was developmentally disabled even before PD-related dementia, and three years ago we had a violence problem at night. By the time he’d fall asleep, only a few hours before the circus started back up, I’d be on the verge of breaking down and weighing how much more of this would still be preferable to being dead.
We hired an extra caregiver so I no longer had to worry about recovering and being ready for the mornings. As a bonus, we adjusted the meds and successfully got rid of the manic behavior. I would have been happy with either, and with both, life is a relative breeze now.
I sometimes wonder how many families in similar situations cannot hire or find another caregiver. It is difficult to think about.
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not knowing(will look up literature) I cancel whatever activity we were planning and let her rest.don’t know the experience of marijuana use but doubt if she will try that. If my energy is spent, I improvise.
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