Managing Stress As One Of 65M Caregivers

65 million Americans are caregivers which can be a stressful job.  I think more and more companies that I consult with are looking at how to engage the caregivers as part of the overall health team.  With that in mind, I thought I would share this quote.  Managing stress as a caregiver is important so you don’t burn out.

“When you have a bad job in a toxic workplace, you feel trapped, but you can always try to find another job,” said Sharon Brothers, a veteran social worker who is now executive vice president of Caregiver Village (www.caregivervillage.com), an omnibus Internet community and resource hub for caregivers that includes expert forum hosts and even an online caregiver game. “Caregivers, however, can’t just find another role. They are caring for a loved one, so the stress they live with is real and the boss they report to is themselves. They feel trapped by their love and obligation to their family members, which makes it exponentially more difficult for them to get a break, because they feel guilty whenever they try to take one.  In fact, studies show that being a family caregiver is one of the most stressful ‘occupations’ in the country today.”