Caregiver stress

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Caring For Those in Chronic Pain: How Spouses Cope

Traditional marriage vows generally contain the words “through sickness and in health.” For some couples, chronic sickness in the form of a painful disease...

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Why Some Family Caregivers Refuse Help Even When They Need It

Even when family caregivers have access to help, many still come up with excuses to turn down assistance. Learning to accept support and assistance...

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How to Be a True Friend to a Family Caregiver

Family caregivers often find that their social circles shrink over time. Casual friends are typically the first to drift away because a caregiver is...

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Universal Phrases for That Help Caregivers Find Serenity

Life isn’t easy for most people, and it’s not perfect for anybody. Sometimes, as we trudge through the days providing help for our care...

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The Aftermath of Long-Term Caregiving: Is Stress the New Normal?

Often long-term caregivers wonder if their lives will ever return to normal. The short answer is no; at least for most of us. There...

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Respecting Diverse Approaches to Caregiving

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to caregiving. Every family caregiver must be free to make choices that work best for their unique situation. Even...

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Recognizing and Mitigating Caregiver Burnout

Caregiver burnout isn’t something that happens all at once. We all have good days and bad days, which is normal. Eventually, though, we may...

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Apologizing After Caregiver Stress Causes a Blowup

Caregiving is a stressful job even during the best of times. The sheer amount of responsibility is enough to make the most stoic person...

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How to Approach Parents Who Appear to Need Help but Resist Your Efforts

Dear Carol: My parents are in their mid-eighties and live in the same home where they raised the family. They were doing well until...

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Helping vs. Enabling: How to Strike a Balance While Caregiving

Most family caregivers want what is best for their loved ones, and they’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Unfortunately, discerning what’s...