If you are a family caregiver or a professional caregiver, chances are you will reach a state of emotional bankruptcy where you have given all you can give but still are called upon to give more. Emotional bankruptcy can surface in many forms such as endless crying, and the need to sleep more, change in diet as in eating more or less, or the feeling of helplessness.
Many times, in particular if you are caring for an immediate family member, the root cause of the emotional bankruptcy can be grieving of a loss. The losses one experiences usually are not in the form of death, but are in forms of lost companionship, loss of personal time, loss of social contact. Being able to name that loss and find a support system that will nurture your mental and spiritual well-being becomes imperative. The Bible offers us strength in 1 Timothy 5:4, “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.”
There are times when caregivers need to deal with their own anger. It is common that within a family one member will step up and take on the caregiving role, it is also common that other members of the family will remain physically and emotionally absent. This unresolved anger could place one family member against another and divide a family forever. It is for this exact reason that the family needs to unify and act as care partners, caring for one another while caring for the family member. In this way all family members are then sharing in the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of one another. The care partner plan needs to be established very early in the care process. The Bible states in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Best of all, caregivers receive blessings in many ways. They become more aware of their own health and recognize that maintaining their health is a necessity. They become more aware of their own mortality and know each day is a blessing. Most of all, caregivers are doing the work that God has commissioned.. how to find a caregiver for elderly