View
1
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Caring for the Caregiver Rachel Hammerton
Masters in Self Care, Caregiver at Spark Lifecare
Allison Carroll Director of Culture, Spark Lifecare
Zack Riley Care Partner, Spark Lifecare
Informal/Family Caregivers
• 8,000,000+ people in Canada provide care to a friend or loved one • 550,000 of these provide care to someone struggling with a mental illness or a physical limitation
• 71% of family caregivers provide care with more than 2 tasks • 9/10 informal caregivers provide emotional support • 49% of informal caregivers with kids under the age of 18 reported that caregiving duties impeded the time they spend with their kids • The more intense the care provided, the more stress levels and physical and emotional health levels decline
Professional Caregivers
• They are: • Empathetic • Compassionate • Able to portray professionalism • Able to avoid becoming overly emotionally involved with clients
Professional Caregivers
• 21-67% of mental health workers experience burnout • Often, caregivers are rewarded for measurable outcomes, efficiency, and techniques with clients • Organizations are often motivated by being cost effective and efficient • High turnover rates among the profession • Role ambiguity and confusion can lead to burnout • Human health, welfare, and social care have been shown to top charts in the most stress-out occupational sectors
Burnout
The Statistics:
• National Alliance of Caregiving - 72% of family caregivers report not going to the doctor as often as they should and 55% skip doctor appointments for themselves.
• Statistics Canada: Nearly 3 in 10 people are family caregivers (2012).
• Statistics Canada: nearly half of Canadians aged 15 years and older (46%) or 13 million Canadians had provided some type of care to a family member or friend with a long-term health condition, disability or aging needs in 2012.
Signs of Burnout
• Feeling overwhelmed / constant worry • Feeling fatigued • Too little/too much sleep (patterns change) • Weight loss/gain • More easily irritable • Losing interest in hobbies • Physical pain/problems
How to avoid burnout
• Set realistic goals • Set personal health goals • Focus on what you can provide • See your doctor • Stay connected and make new connections!
Compassion Fatigue/Secondary Trauma
Is It All Bad?
• No! • Compassion satisfaction is the positive feelings that arise from helping others • It is a major part of our profession and is related to our professional quality of life • How does it help? • Increases motivation, interest, and attitudes towards work • Provide a sense of accomplishment • Reduces the effects of burnout • Gives greater hope for positive client outcomes and feelings of personal value
ProQoL
Burnout • The higher the score, the higher the risk of burnout • What you can do • Talk to employer or spouse • Seek professional help
And my Burnout level is:
Low
Average
High
ProQoL
Secondary Traumatic Stress • Second-hand exposure to traumatic or stressful events • What you can do: • Identify the fears/source of the PTSD symptoms • Reach out to employer • Counselling
And my Secondary Traumatic Stress level is:
Low
Average
High
ProQoL
Compassion Satisfaction • The higher the score, the better! • Being able to find pleasure from helping others • What can you do if you have a low score • Find ways to ignite your inner spark • Find meaning in other areas of your life • Identify specifically what is missing to make you joyful
And my Compassion Satisfaction level is:
Low
Average
High
Buzzword: Self-care
• One of 2018’s biggest trends • In a Western culture, perfectionism, busyness, and productivity are highly valued and desired • Self-care is our attempt to changing societal standards
• While many people recognize it’s value, people are not good at implementing it into their own lives • Particularly caregivers!
Why Self-Care?
• To have to focus and heal our own wounds before we can do so for others • To provide better services for clients
• Self-care is able to protect against burnout and its negative impacts to clients • To create a balance between the personal and professional lives • It is the oxygen mask to our profession
• We have to provide for ourselves before we are able to provide for others • Not only does it help alleviate stress, but it can also improve areas such as self-compassion, decrease distress, and increase overall life satisfaction • It is an act of self-love
• Self-awareness + self-care = self-love
What Exactly Is Self-Care?
• It’s more than a “treat yo’ self” mentality and a bubble bath on a Friday night • It’s looking at who you were before the job • To help separate work and personal and create a balance
• Allows you to reconnect with yourself
What Exactly is Self-Care?
• It is • Purposeful and proactive • Individualized and intentional • By the self and for the self
• It’s NOT • Selfish • A sign of weakness • A one-and-done event
Self-Care Wheel
Self-Care Wheel
Self-Care Wheel
Self-Care Wheel
Self-Care Wheel
Self-Care Wheel
Self-Care Wheel
Self-Care Wheel
How Do I Start?
• Self-exploration • What do I like? • Where do I find meaning? • Who was I before the job?
• First step • Find non-negotiable self-care time in your schedule • Block it off!
Developing a Self-Care Plan
Step 1: Self-Evaluate
• What do you do currently to alleviate stress? • What positive skills do you use? • What negative skills do you use?
Developing a Self-Care Plan
Step 2: What do you need?
Daily: What are things that you can integrate into your daily routine that fulfill your self-care needs? • Physically • Mentally • Emotionally • Spiritually
Developing a Self-Care Plan
Step 2: What do you need?
Emergency: When you are in a crisis situation, what can you do/avoid doing to help? • What helps you stay calm/what tends to make you feel more anxious? • What should you say to yourself in crisis/what shouldn’t you say to yourself? • What helps you to stay positive and what brings your mood down? • What methods/people help you get through crises and what methods/people makes crises more difficult?
Developing a Self-Care Plan
Step 3: Barriers and Areas for Improvement
• What are you currently doing for self-care? • What is helping you to feel better? • What is not helping you feel better?
Developing a Self-Care Plan
Step 3: Barriers and Areas for Improvement
• What stands in between you and your self-care? • How can you handle those barriers?
Remember – it’s integrating, not adding!
Developing a Self-Care Plan
Step 3: Barriers and Areas for Improvement
• Replace your negative coping skills with positive ones • Start small – think of one or two and come up with viable alternatives to destress
Developing a Self-Care Plan
Step 4: Putting it all Together Daily Self-Care Plan
Physical Mental Emotional Spiritual
Top 3 Positive Coping Strategies
Emergency Self-Care Plan
Helpful (To Do) Harmful (To Avoid)
Top 5 Top 5
What do the pros do?
Mike McMahon Director, Canadian Mental Health Association, Oxford County
Shafik Sunderani Psychotherapist in Corrections, Government of Canada
What do the pros do?
Chantal vonSchoenberg Doctorate in Physiotherapy
Suzanne McKenna Health Professional
Importance of Hobbies
• immerse yourself in something just for you • “I’m too busy” - has become a badge of honour • helps you become more efficient with your time
Benefits of Hobbies
• Fosters new social connections • connect with like minded individuals • meet new people you otherwise wouldn’t • social connection leads to happiness • Ex. Book club, knitting club, social media community
Benefits of Hobbies
• Help you cope with stress • Add layers to your identity. You are not ‘just’ a mom/dad. You are not ‘just’ an employee. You are an artist. A writer. A contributor to society • “A blow to one aspect of your identity is less damaging” • Turn off your brain and quiet your thoughts • Shift in perspective
Theory of Flow - Mihaly Csikszentmihaly
• active leisure vs passive leisure • lose yourself in a sport, an activity • time flies and you are fully immersed
