Vacations Can Recharge Caregivers

America is known for its hard workers. The Center for Economic Policy and Research gave it a nickname–“No Vacation Nation”–in a study that examined paid vacation time in 21 wealthy countries. No surprise, America ranks last in the legally required number of paid vacation days and holidays.

There are plenty of downsides to those facts. For example, one study showed that working more than 55 hours a week is associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke. That health risk persists even after a person stops working 55 hours a week. And that data doesn’t even account for unpaid labor like family caregivers. Caregivers deserve vacations, too!

Vacation time offers many health benefits, including:

• Increases mindfulness: The act of breaking your normal routine forces you out of “autopilot” and makes your brain focus more on your surroundings.
• Improves heart health: Taking regular vacations is associated with a decreased risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health issues that raise the risk of heart disease.
• Reduces stress: Time away from your everyday environment removes you from the place you may associate with stress and anxiety.

Those health benefits make you a better caregiver! As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. So why aren’t family caregivers taking the vacations they so obviously deserve?

Family caregivers can face many barriers that prevent them from enjoying a restorative vacation. Here are some of the things that can get in the way, and how to deal with them.

Time. Family caregiving is a demanding job, and rarely does it offer paid time off. And if the caregiver does have another job (as is common) it’s likely that much of any paid time off is used to provide care for their loved ones. Consider hiring professional caregivers or asking other friends or family members to pitch. Be sure to be upfront with other family members about the cost of hiring professional care, and ask them to help.

Money. Budgets can be tight for family caregivers. The AARP reports that family caregivers spend 26% of their income on caregiving activities, and many cut back hours at work to provide care. But a vacation doesn’t need to be extravagant. Ask around for discounts or consider off-season travel. Seek out low-cost activities like museums or national parks. Eating out can be expensive, so plan your meals and pack snacks to keep your vacations in your budget.

Caregiving requirements. Perhaps you have convinced yourself that you are the only person capable of proving care for your loved one in the manner they prefer. Maybe they have a complicated medical history or require high levels of support. But (literally) rest assured, there are capable professionals who are ready to handle whatever care your loved one needs. Respite care is available from skilled nursing facilities, and professional caregivers can come to wherever your loved one needs them. The change of pace and new face may even be enjoyable for them!

Guilt. Guilt is a difficult emotion that is all too common in family caregiving. If the person receiving care is a parent or spouse, it can be extra hard to step away. After all, your mother raised you! Or you pledged an oath to your spouse “in sickness and in health,” so you may feel that taking a break for yourself is selfish or unreasonable. But try and give yourself the grace you would give someone else in your shoes. No one person can do it all alone, and you endanger your own health when you do not take time away from caregiving.

Right at Home of Central New Jersey franchise owner Beth Sholom explains that this guilt can be bad for the caregiver’s health. “Unfortunately, sometimes it is the supposedly ‘well’ spouse whose health declines quickly and then no one is available to help,” she says.

Caregivers need to care for themselves in order to provide care for a loved one. So take the time to rest up and get away. And it doesn’t need to be a week-long vacation away. The best respite care starts with regular time for the caregiver to get some refreshing self care.

“Caregiving is one aspect of who a person is, not all,” says Beth. She suggests getting regular massages or making coffee dates with friends. Or spend time away with other family members. The key is to regularly spend time doing what refreshes the caregiver’s mental, physical, and emotional energy.

Right at Home can provide respite care so caregivers can take a break knowing their loved one is in good hands. And Beth urges her clients to start the process early on to build a relationship. “If somebody can’t be left alone, you want to build a relationship and have the live-in care start early so you can be involved and later go away knowing that the appropriate level of care is being provided.”

She has one companionship client who has hourly care, but sometimes her husband will have the companionship caregiver stay with her a while longer while he goes on a golf vacation.

Beth supports her family caregiver clients in other ways as well. Contact her to learn about your options for learning how to care for a family member with Alzheimer’s or other dementia. From Medicare-covered home health trainings, dementia coaching with AlzBetter, orientation with a Right at Home caregiver, or concierge delivery of the products home caregivers need, Beth has resources to help family caregivers take care of themselves and their loved ones.