While children and adults with cerebral palsy have different degrees of capacities and limitations, some individuals may need a lot of attention and care. They may not be able to live on their own independently. Caring for these people is an important job and can be gratifying for professional caregivers and family members. On the other side of the coin, caring for someone you love sometimes may get complicated. Caregivers may also need your support and help too. Therefore, it becomes essential to comprehend how to cope with the situation when the job gets challenging.

CARING FOR THOSE WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Caregivers play a crucial role in the lives of people who are affected by this condition. In this condition, the ability to move the muscles gets affected; individuals (with moderate to severe disabilities) are dependent on their caregivers for daily activities. Caregivers must help these individuals get dressed, eat, bathe and do so many other tasks. Some may need assistance for a few hours, while others may need complete-time care.

HOW TO COPE UP AS A CAREGIVER

Caregivers may have an important job, but at the same time, it is challenging as well as demanding. They become more vulnerable to stress, burnout, depression and fatigue. Caring for someone may take a toll on the mental health of a professional caregiver. If you are looking after a child with cerebral palsy, there are high chances that at the end of the day, you may feel exhausted, stressed out and burned out. Here we have listed some strategies to keep yourself healthy and motivated while providing exceptional care:

1. SUPPORT SYSTEM

When you face any challenging people, alone, it is always better to have some people around you for support. Whether you have one, two or three trusted friends or a group of other caregivers, rely on these people to help you, listen to you and step in just when you need them.

2. SELF CARE

Just because you are professional in care, it doesn’t mean that you overlook your care routine. Self-care is indeed essential to avoid stress and burn out, and it may include getting enough exercise, a day off or even working with a therapist.

3.COMPASSION FATIGUE

A common issue for the cerebral palsy professional caregiver is that they get fatigued emotionally and physically. Emotional exhaustion is hard to understand, but you can revive and re-engage in activities if you catch it early. Compassion fatigue may occur due to emotional numbness, self-destructive behaviors, lack of attention and other troubling indications.

4. BRING IN HELP

Often one caregiver is not enough. Especially parents of children with cerebral palsy sometimes make this mistake by doing all work alone. Children and adults that require a lot of care are likely to need more than one caregiver. Look for extra caregivers through your health insurance, non-profit organizations, and community organizations to hire an additional part-time caregiver.

Caring for someone primarily with cerebral palsy, indeed, is not an easy job. If you care for someone with cerebral palsy, be aware that you may suffer from compassion fatigue, stress and other issues, and this is entirely normal. Use these coping blueprint strategies to lessen the complications of being a caregiver.