I love you, but it’s killing me! Caregiver Fatigue and Burnout

Maggie Shumpert

MA, LPC

6/30/2026

Being a caregiver is a very rewarding role. You can provide for the needs of someone you care a lot about and allow the individual to remain in their home or another familiar setting while they go through a difficulty or illness. You can show love and respect to this individual and, hopefully, help them through this hard time. However, this is also an extremely difficult role to play. It’s exhausting and often is a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week job.

Caregivers often neglect themselves in their efforts to care for their loved ones. Caregivers can experience anxiety, depression, and physical illnesses in their efforts to keep their loved one healthy. Caregivers must find ways to care for themselves, which can be quite difficult when time is short.

The first way is to try to reengage in a hobby or activity the caregiver enjoyed before their role as caregiver. Becoming active in something that was once enjoyable can help the caregiver regain a sense of self. It also helps to allow the caregiver a moment away from their caregiving role.

Another way caregivers can care for themselves is to delegate tasks to others. This is often a difficult task because caregivers often have the power of attorney for their loved one, meaning they must make most major medical decisions. The caregiver is also typically the one who knows the most about their loved one's medical condition(s). However, some things can be delegated to another family member or family friend. In today’s technological world, it’s possible for the caregiver to remain in contact with their loved one’s medical providers.

To wrap up, caregiving is a wonderful role to play. It’s rewarding in many ways, but it can also cost the caregiver their mental and physical health if the caregiver is not conscious of these issues. There are often others who are willing and able to assist the caregiver in this difficult role. Seeking out these people is one way that caregivers can continue to love and care for the individual in their life without compromising their own health.