Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding, yet challenging experience. As a caregiver, you may find yourself juggling the demands of work, family, and caregiving, all while trying your best to maintain your own physical and emotional health. It is evident that caregivers are one of the unsung heroes of the healthcare industry.^{1, 2, 3} Despite your enormous strength and persistence, there are some instances where occupational therapy obtained at the right time could help you manage the challenges of caregiving, and improve your quality of life.^{4, 5}

Engaging an experienced occupational therapist to guide you in navigating the highs and lows of caregiving could be the difference between feeling empowered versus utter despair. Specifically, occupational therapists (OTs) have the capacity to help caregivers in a variety of ways, including:

1. Assessment: OTs can assess your individual needs and abilities as a caregiver, as well as the needs of the person you are caring for. This assessment will enable the OT to develop a customized plan of care that meets your specific needs.

2. Education: OTs can provide education and training on a variety of topics related to caregiving, such as the best way to:

• Provide safe and effective care
• Manage stress and fatigue
• Communicate effectively with the person you are caring for
• Access resources and support

3. Skill development: OTs can assist you with developing the skills you need to provide safe and effective care to your loved one. This may include training on how to use adaptive equipment, how to perform specific tasks, or how to manage challenging behaviors that arise in day-to-day interactions.

4. Environmental modification: OTs can help you to modify your environment to make it safer and more accessible for the person you are caring for. This may include making changes to your home, such as installing grab bars or widening doorways.

5. Support: OTs can provide you with crucial emotional support and encouragement. They can also help you connect with other caregivers and resources in your community to help you thrive.

If you are a caregiver, OT can be a valuable resource to help you manage the challenges of caregiving and improve your overall caregiving experience. To learn more about how OT can help in your particular situation, contact us through our registration form to connect with an experienced occupational therapist in your area.

References

1. Schurgin, M., Schlager, M., Vardoulakis, L., Pina, L. R., & Wilcox, L. (2021, May). Isolation in Coordination: Challenges of Caregivers in the USA. In Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1-14.

2. Nemati, S., Rassouli, M., Ilkhani, M., & Baghestani, A. R. (2018). Perceptions of family caregivers of cancer patients about the challenges of caregiving: a qualitative study. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 32(1), 309-316.

3. Navaie-Waliser, M., Feldman, P. H., Gould, D. A., Levine, C., Kuerbis, A. N., & Donelan, K. (2002). When the caregiver needs care: The plight of vulnerable caregivers. American journal of public health, 92(3), 409-413.

4. Kokorelias, K. M., Lu, F. K., Santos, J. R., Xu, Y., Leung, R., & Cameron, J. I. (2020). “Caregiving is a full‐time job” impacting stroke caregivers' health and well‐being: A qualitative meta‐synthesis. Health & social care in the community, 28(2), 325-340.

5. Lerman, D. C., O’Brien, M. J., Neely, L., Call, N. A., Tsami, L., Schieltz, K. M., ... & Cooper-Brown, L. J. (2020). Remote coaching of caregivers via telehealth: Challenges and potential solutions. Journal of Behavioral Education, 29, 195-221.

6. Russell, B. S., Hutchison, M., Tambling, R., Tomkunas, A. J., & Horton, A. L. (2020). Initial challenges of caregiving during COVID-19: Caregiver burden, mental health, and the parent–child relationship. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 51, 671-682.

7. Ma, H., Zhao, T., Wan, C., Liu, F., & Christensen, M. (2023). 'And I thought having a cancer diagnosis was hard': A descriptive phenomenological study of family caregiver experiences navigating the pre-hospital system during COVID-19. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 62, 102255.

8. Oyeyemi, D. M., Omer, Z. B., Brown, B., Freimund, J., Gummerson, C., Rink, A., ... & Marottoli, R. A. (2023). Developing an animated COVID-19 e-curriculum for adults with dementia and caregivers: Challenges and solutions. Patient Education and Counseling, 106, 180-187.

9. Garrels, V., & Sigstad, H. M. H. (2023). Caregivers’ Experiences with School–Work Transitions for Their Children with Disorders of Intellectual Development. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 1892.