Omaha Senior AdvisorWhat are the signs of caregiver burnout?
Signs include constant fatigue, poor sleep, illness, irritability or anger at the person you care for, withdrawing from friends, missing your own medical appointments, and feeling that nothing you do is enough; caregivers of people with dementia are at particular risk.
ENOA notes that about 200,000 Nebraskans provide unpaid care for aging parents, spouses or other loved ones. If you see these signs in yourself, it is time to add help, not to try harder.
What respite is available for Omaha caregivers?
ENOA's Caregiver Support Program provides respite, in-home or through adult day programs, for caregivers 18 and older looking after someone 60 or older who needs help with at least two daily activities or has a dementia diagnosis; AD Waiver participants can get respite through the waiver instead.
Call (402) 444-6536 and ask for Information and Assistance to start. A respite source can only be used one at a time. Adult day programs on the DHHS roster give a predictable break several days a week, and some ALFs offer short respite stays in furnished apartments.
How do we know when it is time for assisted living or memory care?
When the care needed exceeds what one person can provide safely, especially at night, when the caregiver's own health is failing, or when the person being cared for is no longer safe at home despite help, a move protects both of you.
Choosing a setting is not giving up caregiving. Families who move a parent to assisted living or memory care usually stay closely involved as visitors and advocates, and many say the relationship improves when they are no longer doing all the hands-on care.
Where can caregivers get support for themselves?
ENOA's case managers in the Caregiver Support Program offer consultation and education on the stresses of caregiving, and dementia caregivers can find support groups and education programs in the Omaha area; your own doctor should know you are a caregiver.
Write a one-page plan with medications, doctors, routines and contacts so someone else can step in if you are sick. Accept specific offers of help from family and friends, and ask for them.
How can a caregiver plan for an emergency of their own?
Write a one-page care plan listing medications, doctors, daily routine, insurance and who to call, give copies to a backup caregiver, and arrange in advance where your parent would go if you were suddenly hospitalized.
Some ALFs will pre-screen a parent for short-term respite so an emergency stay can begin quickly.
Sources include 175 NAC 4 (assisted-living facilities), the Nebraska Revised Statutes cited above, Nebraska DHHS program and licensure pages, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables; see our editorial standards.
