Memorial Hospital

GIVE US A CALL:
570-265-2191

WELCOME TO
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
  Administration
  Admissions
  Auxiliary
  Business Office
  Job Opportunities
  Materials Management
  Medical Records
  Patient Handbook
  Volunteers

VISITOR INFORMATION
  General Information
  Driving Directions
  Local Links
  Lodging
  Local Newspapers
  Hospital Visiting Hours

Message From
Our President

DOCTORS
Physician Directory

PATIENT SERVICES
  Ambulance & Transportation
      Services
  Autologous Blood Donations
  Bone Densitometry
  Cardiac Rehab
  Cardiopulmonary
  Critical Care Unit
  Dialysis
  Dietary / Dietitian
  Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT)
  Emergency Medicine
  Hospice
  Home Health
  Internal Medicine
  Laboratory
  Lithotripsy: For Kidney Stones
  Mammotome Breast Biopsy
  Massage Therapy
  Maternity Center
  Medical Surgical Unit
  MRI
  Occupational Therapy
  Occupational Health/Wellness
  Orthopedics
  Outpatient Therapy Clinic
  Pastoral Care
  Patient Handbook
  Pediatrics
  Personal Care Home
  Physician Directory
  Physical Therapy
  Podiatry
  Private Care
  Pulmonary Rehab
  Radiology
  Same Day Surgery
  Sensory Integration Therapy
  Skilled Nursing Unit
  Sleep Studies
  Social Services
  Spiral CT Scanner
  Speech Therapy
  Stress Echocardiography
  Surgery and Anesthesia
  Therapy Clinic
  Transportation Services
  Urinary Incontinence Therapy
  Urology
  Wellness
  Women's Health

COMMUNITY
  Community Links, etc.
  Hospice
  Speaker's Bureau

LONG TERM CARE
  Skilled Nursing Unit
      Dietitian
  Personal Care Home
  Private Care
  Nursing Assistant Training

EASY EMAIL ACCESS
  Hospital President
  VP Human Resources
  VP Patient Services
  VP Finance
  VP Long Term Care
  Medical Staff Affairs Director
  In-Home Care Administrator
  Marketing Director
  Wellness Director
  Business Office
  Performance Improvement

Library of General
Healthcare Information

HOME

CONTACT
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: info@memorialhospital.org

Coping Skills For Caregivers

When you are taking care of someone who is chronically ill, you probably put your own needs on the back burner. After all, you're not the one who needs attention and help, right? In truth, being a caregiver can be very stressful. Use good coping skills to take care of yourself. You'll prevent depression, resentment, and burnout, and take better care of the patient.

Common Problems

In caring for a chronically ill person, you can face many problems. You may worry about medical advice and costs. If the person is elderly, you face the problems of aging as well as the illness. If the patient is a child, you face problems such as how to continue their education and social activities. Marriage and other family relationships may be strained. You have less time and energy to spend on them. You may still need to work in a paid job, which has its own pressures. You may have stopped taking time for yourself, or given up things you enjoy. This can make you feel tense, grouchy, or nervous.

Admit And Accept

Caregivers may not want to think about their own situation. At the beginning of care taking, they feel hopeful that the situation will improve. If it doesn't, they feel depressed that there is no end in sight to the hard work. It can be hard for caregivers to admit negative feelings about their role. If the patient is angry or resentful, he or she will probably take it out on the closest person: the caregiver, who often feels confused, guilty and resentful, too.

People who try very hard to meet everyone's demands still can feel selfish, inadequate, angry, sad and exhausted. Admitting and accepting these feelings will help the caregiver continue to give care. Holding them in will only continue them and lead to burnout.

Effective Coping Skills

Practice these coping skills when-ever you can:

For yourself:

Find support by talking with others in a similar situation.
Take time for yourself. Exercise regularly and eat well.
Ask for specific help from others.
Let the patient and others know you need to feel appreciated.

For the patient:

Find the best medical care you can. Get second and third opinions.
Help the patient stay involved with past interests and relation-ships.

For everyone involved:

Be realistic and honest. Discuss with the entire family each person's limits in the situation.
Use available resources in your community.
Give and receive love and appreciation whenever you can. This will sustain you.

RELATED PAGE:

Memorial Hospital's Private Care