by Faith McNamara
Caretakers’ devotion to their loved ones is boundless yet also threatening them with the brink of collapse due to chronic stress. Guardian Carers recently interviewed Kath Bryce, the Senior Communications Officer at Carer Support Wiltshire. We uncovered deep revelations about carer burnout in the UK that often goes unheeded.
In this article, we learn about the shared signs, symptoms and risk factors for carer burnout while also revealing preventative measures and highlighting the important role that support networks play.
Bryce perfectly explained the struggles that Carers go through in their day-to-day lives and why awareness must be shared and support be provided to them.
Carer burnout is described by Kath Bryce as a result of long-term stress that builds up over time, displaying itself in different ways such as emotional depletion and loneliness.
“Carers can often feel very isolated - it’s useful to identify this early on because we need to show the unpaid Carer they need support.” Being isolated and finding that your care work is feeling more and more difficult can make feelings of helplessness and frustration grow, leading to burnout.
Bryce notes that it’s important to distinguish the difference between everyday stress and burnout. Daily stress can act as a motivating factor, but burnout is chronic and exhausts all energy. Hence, there is no time left to recover. In this way, burnout is a chronic condition which can make it feel impossible to get better from.
Prolonged stress results in the body’s fight-or-flight response which causes the release of adrenaline and cortisol. But without adequate rest, this could lead to adrenal fatigue and cortisol-related complications including lethargy and irritability, among others.
Bryce listed plenty of visible warning signs that you can identify in your Carer friends or relatives. Emotional numbness, irritability, poor appetite, and neglect of both self and the person being cared for are signs that represent a critical point of burnout.
In such situations, she stresses the need to help someone who shows these signs. “If it’s a friend or somebody that you know, it is worth being curious and just asking some questions about how they feel and are doing.”
There are diverse elements that aggravate the risk of burnout for Carers. Financial burdens, a lack of support, social isolation and balancing multiple roles: working as well as being a caregiver can increase stress levels
Bryce notes the additional complications of caring for more than one individual, travelling long distances between caregiving responsibilities and dealing with bureaucratic issues around benefits and support services. "Caring is just one of the big topics in the UK at the moment with a really big ageing population."
Another significant feature that is touched upon in our conversation is how burnout affects the quality of care directly. Burnt-out Carers may at times find themselves becoming impatient, irritable and detached which leads to an inability to provide the standard of care they intended. This decline in the quality of care involves risks not only to the Carer but also brings into question the well-being of the person they care for.
However, Bryce made it clear that the deterioration in the quality of care isn’t a burnt-out Carer’s fault. “Just remember that it’s happening because you’re exhausted. It’s not a reflection of your own character or anything to do with you. It’s not you. It’s a result [and] a symptom of your exhaustion.”
Family members, neighbours and friends are a vital support pillar for Carers as they can provide them with the necessary help. Instead of the “vague offers for help”, she recommends asking Carers “specifically what sort of practical support” they require.
Moreover, repeatedly supporting them and inquiring about their mental and physical health as a Carer outside of their care duties is important. Being curious, hearing and providing actionable help cannot be stressed enough.
Carer Support Wiltshire operates like many other local carer support groups that provide various services to help carers. There are care assessments, signposting to relevant organisations and support groups as well as a token service which has volunteers stop by regularly to check up on the Carers.
“The best thing I would say is to find out what support you have available early before you even need it”, says Bryce. Anxiety can be mitigated through timely intervention. This is why organisations like Carer Support Wiltshire are so important - it’s a community hotspot to find support, and the earlier the better.
Apart from local carer support organisations, Bryce suggests using respite care services. One of the primary services that we offer here at Guardian Carers is respite care.
Respite care enables home Carers to get a break, allowing relief for short periods as much-needed recharge measures and averting burnout. This critical service conforms to Bryce’s suggestion of recovery planning and working time off.
Carer burnout is still a critical matter in the UK, and Kath Bryce’s views shine a light on its complex nature. As she suggests, we need to emphasise early intervention and ongoing support.
Moreover, the provision of respite care services identifies a practical method for burnout prevention and promotes healthy caring. Through amplifying awareness and support, we can all work together to help alleviate some of that burden on Carers throughout the UK.
Give us a call. We are ready to help. We believe we can find your perfect carer.