Would you be surprised to know that the biggest threat to your parent remaining at home is how well you manage your caregiver stress and mental health? You know it’s true that without the support that you provide each day that your parent could not continue to live at home. If you as your parent’s primary care provider can no long provide all the care you do right now, what would your parents’ options be?
Caring for a parent adds complexity to your life. You add another layer of tasks to your already busy life. The emotional impact of watching your parent change and struggle is very stressful. At times caregiving opens up old, negative family issues that you’ve been able to avoid. The combination of caregiver stress and mental health issues may result in depression. While caregiver stress does not always lead to depression you should know the symptoms and be vigilant.
Some typical symptoms of depression If you experience some of these symptoms for more than two weeks, you should discuss them with your doctor as they can be symptoms of depression.