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continued from page 44

“it’s an adult child who takes 
on a lot of responsibility for 
their parents’ well-being or a 
spouse caring for their spouse 
in extra ways that maybe they 
didn’t do during previous 
years of their marriage.”
Caregiving can look differ-
ent from situation to situation, 
but often includes helping 
with daily activities such as 
eating, bathing, giving med-
ication, assembling medical 
information and going to 
medical appointments.
Some women, like Gordon 
herself, are also long-distance 
caregivers assisting family 
members in different states 
with things like research, 
planning and age-related 
changes.

JOB VS. DUTY
Oftentimes, it can simply feel 
like something one must do 
— a duty to their family. Yet 
Gordon calls caregiving what 
it is, and that’s a full-time job 
often worked on top of anoth-
er full-time job.
This leads to burnout, a 
problem Gordon says is prev-
alent amongst caregivers. 
“Caregivers are way more 
likely to be suffering from 
health conditions, lower 
immunity and chronic issues,” 
she explains of the side effects 
of caregiving.
In fact, female caregivers 
caring for an ill or disabled 
spouse in particular are 
almost six times more likely 
to experience symptoms of 
depression or anxiety when 
compared to non-caregivers. 
So, what can women in this 
role do to safeguard their 
physical and mental health?
The first step: Follow 
Mann’s lead and take time for 
yourself, even if it’s five min-
utes a day.
“There’s a lot of guilt associ-

ated with taking the time out 
to do something for yourself, 
even if it’s something practical 
like going to the doctor or an 
exercise class,” Gordon says.
However, not taking care of 
yourself can lead to a vicious 
cycle.
“There will inevitably come 
a point where you can no lon-
ger take care of your person,” 
she explains of neglecting 
your own needs. “Taking care 
of yourself is an extension of 
the things you can do to help 
the person you’re helping.”

PREVENTING BURNOUT
Every client she works with, 
Gordon says, has some level 
of burnout — with some 
more than others. Self-care is 
strongly encouraged, whether 
that means cooking a nutri-
tious meal, doing 15 minutes 
of yoga or simply sitting still 
in a dark room doing breath-
ing exercises.
Adult coloring books are 
another great option for 
women caregivers, as Gordon 
says these books give a chance 
to “think about nothing” 
while still doing a creative 
project.
The key, she explains, is to 
start small and work your way 
up, especially if burnout itself 
is a barrier to wanting to par-
take in any activities outside 
of the caregiving role itself.
“It really depends on peo-
ple’s interests and what allows 
them to decompress,” Gordon 
says. “Once you gauge the 
schedule, the routine and how 
you can add something [you 
love to do]in, it seems like less 
of a mountain to overcome.”
For more information 
about the Caregiver Support 
Program, contact Gordon at 
(248) 970-2779 or egordon@
jfsdetroit.org. 

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