Whether you're a parent, partner, sibling or friend, the role of being a carer isn't always easy. You show up for the people you love every day. It’s only natural that burnout can creep up when you’re juggling so much. So how can carers protect their own health and wellbeing while supporting those they care for?
Dimity, mum to Hireup client Stu, has experienced carer burnout firsthand. Drawing on her own lived experience, she shares the three key signs to watch out for, and with six ways carers can continue to provide support to their loved ones while also taking care of themselves.
As a parent caring for someone on the NDIS, you’re often running on high alert. When stress becomes her baseline, Dimity learned to recognise three familiar warning signs of burnout:
- Losing sleep over worries about Stu’s future care.
- Experiencing physical symptoms, such as stress-induced pain or health flare ups.
- Hearing concerns from friends or family that her physical or mental health is wearing thin.
1. Make time for yourself
Personal time can look different for everyone, but it’s so important that you are able to find space to enjoy moments to yourself. This isn’t always easy to do, but the key is in starting small, and finding things that you can include in a regular routine. That can include:
- Staying active by attending a favourite workout class or going for regular walks.
- Unwinding with a book before bed.
- Catching up with friends and family over monthly dinners.
2. Navigating NDIS fatigue
Between NDIS plan reviews, paperwork, and managing support schedules, system fatigue is real. For Dimity, staying organised helps her remain focused and prepared. Her way of navigating system fatigue includes:
- Keep a to-do list and detailed diary for NDIS and care related tasks. It helps to build a routine, with certain tasks always completed by certain days.
- Having weekly meetings with the Hireup Plus Support Team Leader to plan in advance to changes in the schedule.
- Be prepared for Plan Reviews, even if there's a good chance the plan will roll over. Anticipating reviews is always very stressful, so being prepared is a big help.
- Give Allied Health professionals 3-months notice so that assessments can be made and reports ready to be sent to the NDIS at least 1-month before an anticipated Review Meeting.
- Approach the review fully armed with evidence, conviction (about what your loved one needs to function), and gratitude that our society is willing to support us and our loved ones.
3. Find the right support workers
In the past, Dimity used traditional agencies, who often overlooked Stu's specific needs when assigning workers. This led to communication breakdowns, a lack of trust, and left Stu feeling like he had no control over who entered his home.
Switching to Hireup allowed Dimity to build a reliable, trustworthy team who genuinely cared about Stu's wellbeing. Here's why it works so well for them:
- She can select committed staff so Stu knows who’ll be supporting him.
- She knows all Stu’s workers have been trained.
- Together we work as a team with the common goal of helping my son live his best life, because each and every person on Stu's team genuinely cares about him
4. Build clear communication and healthy boundaries
Trusting someone else with the person you care for is a huge step. That’s why establishing clear communication and boundaries with support workers from day one makes a world of difference. There’s several ways Dimity has maintained good communication with Stu’s team of support workers:
- She helps new support workers understand the nature of Stu's disabilities; his personality, his needs, and above all else, how to build trust with him.
- They discuss the importance of respecting Stu as an adult.
- Making sure workers are aware of Stu's behaviours, and ensuring that the support worker has a good grounding in the Positive Behaviour Support Practices.
- Mentoring sessions twice yearly 1:1 with Dimity and the support team mentor (a highly experienced long-term support worker).
- Requirement to complete compliance records (medication, household tasks, shift notes).
- 3-monthly 1.5 hour team meetings.
- Maintaining "team spirit" with help from Stu’s Support Team Lead from Hireup.
5. Find your own support network
Maintaining your own wellbeing can often take a back seat when you’re caring for someone. Dimity says having a person or network of people who you can speak to goes a long way. Whether it be a counsellor or a friend,having a person you trust that you can talk to can give you space to focus on your own health.
Managing carer stress takes a village
Ultimately, Dimity reflects that having a circle of support allows carers to stay organised and manage stress effectively.
“Your energy is precious and limited,” says Dimity. “Don't expend it worrying. Redirect it into practical planning.”
Dimity builds her circle of support with Hireup PLUS. Discover how Hireup PLUS can support your family.
