How can I ask for help if I can no longer keep up caregiving?
A quick route past safety, the GP, the local office, and respite care in Zoetermeer.
Read articleAnger can be a sign that caregiving is becoming too much for you. Sometimes anger also stems from fatigue, helplessness, or tension.
What does anger due to caregiving mean?
Anger can be a sign that the caregiving is becoming too heavy. It can be associated with overstimulation, helplessness, and tension at home. Sometimes it shows that the limit is in sight.
When does care become unsafe?
Unsafe goes beyond hitting or pushing. Shouting, threatening, grabbing hard, locking someone in, and withholding care also fall under it. Then the boundary of safe care has been reached.
In an acute emergency, call 112. If there is no immediate danger, honestly present the situation to Veilig Thuis, your general practitioner, district nurse, or caregiver support worker. Veilig Thuis can also think along anonymously. Also ask for replacement care or temporary takeover, so that the pressure decreases.
Which signals are associated with overload?
Overload can show itself in more anger, being more easily irritated, and more tension in the home. Helplessness, exhaustion, and inability to cope can also play a role. Sometimes you notice that you have less patience or respond more harshly than you want to.
What can you do to stop or reduce the situation?
Keep taking signals seriously and share them in time. Do not wait until the tension builds up further. That way, a solution can be sought together.
How do you talk about it when the tension rises?
Choose a calm moment. Prefer not to talk right before, during, or immediately after a meal. Say concretely what you notice and also ask how the other person feels.
Do not keep the conversation limited to food or weight. Listen and stay calm if your loved one reacts angrily or defensively. You can start again later. If your loved one is open to help, offer to contact your general practitioner together.
What is the best thing to do after that?
For serious but non-acute concerns about a resident of Zoetermeer, Meldpunt Bezorgd Zoetermeer can make an assessment and see which help is already involved. In immediate danger to the person themselves or others, 112 is appropriate. For medical assessment without immediate life-threatening danger, the general practitioner or out-of-hours GP service can be a route.
Share factual signals and avoid confronting them yourself when that could be unsafe. Also ask for support for yourself. You are not responsible for solving the crisis alone.
