AGE-u-cate Training Institute Blog

Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear or read something about Caregiver Burnout.   The subject seems to revolve around these themes:

• Caregiver burnout leads to turnover
• Burned out caregivers impact the quality of care
• Organization leaders need to pay attention to this issue

We are well beyond the stage of prevention, and it is probably something that should have been addressed very early on in the pandemic.  There is no value in would have or should have discussions. Perhaps the best we can and should do right now is work toward some level of burnout recovery for the dedicated workers who have hung in there.

There are good things that some organizations are doing right now, including but not limited to additional days off with pay, thank you lunches and flexible scheduling.  But, as we crawl our way to a place that feels more like recovery verses trauma, let's give some thought to more systemic and continuous ways to keep caregiver burnout in check.

Future Focus:  Caregiver Burnout Prevention

An effective strategy depends on understanding all of the reasons for caregiver burnout, and there are many. Coping strategies, or lack thereof,  is just one factor.  In other words, staff who are equipped with coping strategies do better- makes sense, right? 

The first step is for caregivers to know what burnout out looks and feels like.  Acute awareness before it spirals out of control is critical.  Next comes healthy and effective coping strategies.  Caregivers who are not educated on how to recognize and employ strategies to alleviate burnout are at high risk for many problems. 

In an effort to offer Aging Services organizations an immediate intervention to address caregiver burnout, we created a one-hour device enabled course entitled, "Coping with Caregiver Burnout."  AGE-u-cate is offering this time limited complimentary course audit here:

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In an effort to learn about the educational priorities for Aging Services providers, AGE-u-cate® conducted a survey and asked respondents to identify topics most important for staff.  Fifty percent (50%) of respondents represented the nursing home industry, and the remainder was a combination of other sectors and professionals that serve the industry.  Sixteen topics were offered, and 63% of the respondents selected "Preventing Caregiver Burnout" as most important.  

One survey respondent shared,

The American Medical Association urges leaders to "strive to maintain critical infrastructure and have support in place for staff during this time, knowing that this may require modifications to existing strategies, tactics and roles." An imperative strategy is to educate staff on the signs of chronic stress and how to intentionally employ coping strategies.  

Look no further for an excellent and affordable resource to educate your staff about caregiver burnout.  Reach out to Laura Ellen via the link below to receive complimentary access to AGE-u-cate's REVEAL Aging one-hour device-enabled course "Preventing Caregiver Burnout."

Your feedback on the need for additional topics is invaluable as AGE-u-cate continues to plan for future courses.  Follow this QR code to participate in our 4 question survey.  Thank you!

It is a rare occasion when either speaking to or meeting with family caregivers that I do not have tucked away this invaluable list of signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout to share with them before I leave.    My advice to caregivers is to print this list out and place in a plastic sleeve and tape it to your bathroom mirror.  Every single day you should be aware of these signs - often that creep in slowly- and zap our ability to cope, quickly leading to caregiver burnout.

Caring for a close family member friend can be emotionally overwhelming.  While many caregivers find fulfillment in helping another person, along with this comes feelings of loss, anger,  grief, and guilt.  Caregivers struggle with depression and anxiety at a much higher rate than the general population.  Counseling can be very beneficial for helping people with what is called caregiver burnout.