The loneliness epidemic is real for caregivers
Amy Coupal, M. Ed., ICD.D
Chief Executive Officer at The Ontario Caregiver Organization | NCSC @ NeuroChangeSolutions | Transforming organizations from the inside out
As loneliness awareness week comes to a close, I’ve been watching the content on this with great interest.? Loneliness is an increasingly loud epidemic facing each generation in its own way.? We may have the world at our fingertips and may be in physical proximity to others and yet so many people feel alone.? This is certainly true of caregivers.?
The care we provide often goes unnoticed and unrecognized and many caregivers do not have someone to talk with about the challenges, and successes, they face as a caregiver. Who could understand the effort, emotions and unique characteristics of caregiving?? Ironically, many of us can but we so rarely talk about it with each other, let alone publicly.? Most caregivers don’t know that what they are doing is caregiving and fewer still are recognized for what they are doing by family, healthcare teams and our society.?
As caregivers, we often make decisions and take action hoping we’ve done the right thing.? We may be doing so without input or support. In fact, the contributions we make to the lives of the people we care for may require us to take on tasks that we don’t have the skills, experience or personal capacity to do.? We’re lonely because we may have to tell the story of the person we care for over and over, or fight to be recognized as part of the care team. We feel lonely because very few people are aware of what we juggle as a caregiver and how we balance that with other commitments in our lives including work, family, community and more.? And many caregivers are burnt out, feeling like they are not achieving that balance at all.
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This is why it’s so vital that caregivers are recognized in our families, communities, health and social services.? We have to make it easier for caregivers to do what they do and we have to make sure they know they aren’t alone.? It’s why we have the 24/7 Ontario Caregiver Helpline (1-833-416-2273) and all of the other programs and supports we have. If you are a caregiver, or you know someone who is, please know that you are not alone. There are many others taking their own caregiving journey and there are supports from organizations like The Ontario Caregiver Organization to make that journey less lonely.?
#loneliness #caregivers #caregiving #lonelinessawarenessweek
Thanks for sharing this and bringing awareness to the impact loneliness has on caregivers.
Passionate for learning and sharing knowledge. The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of my employer the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
8 个月It is so common unfortunately for caregivers to experience loneliness. I remember from my PhD study that more than 80% of caregivers with poor well-being reported feeling lonely. Many would report hopeleness as well. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-018-0986-x
???????? Health & Social Services Advocate | Strategy Manager | Coach | Founder @ ComplexlySimple.ca - Helping you navigate complexity - whether in business or life.
8 个月?? loneliness and isolation are a huge obstacle to caregivers mental health and burnout. There’s only so much people can do when they are alone. People need to be heard, be seen and be connected.
"Loneliness is the ultimate poverty." - Radhanath Swami