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Dr. Ernestine Wright, Medical Director, Mercy Ridge Retirement Community.

Gerontologist Dr. Ernestine Wright, Stella Maris/Mercy Ridge, Discusses Stress Relief For Caregivers

The difficulties of being a family caregiver for a sick child or an elderly parent can be incredibly stressful and can take a toll on your health.

Maria Steinacker, a nurse for more than 30 years, knows all about caretaking on a professional level. But when her mother who lived with her began to deteriorate mentally, she said she required care 24 hours a day.

"I was in denial for a long time. She wasn't able to take care of herself," Steinacker said. "I had to work full-time, and there was no one there to take care of her."

Gerontologist Dr. Ernestine Wright, the director of the Mercy Ridge Retirement Community, said 24-hour care is stressful and takes a toll on someone's health.

"We know people that are caregivers are more likely to have problems with anxiety and depression," she said.

According to Dr. Wright, such individuals are more likely to have diabetes, heart disease and cancer, partly because they don't take care of their own health.

"Caregiving can be consuming, and they tend to put loved ones first," Dr. Wright said.

She suggested first acknowledging the stress, then trying to take breaks on a regular basis to do something relaxing. Take care of your own health by eating properly, getting checkups, exercising and by joining a support group.

"Once you voice it, you have to do something. You can't just go in a corner and cry. We've all cried. You have to fix it," she said.

More than 60 percent of unpaid caregivers are women, Dr. Wright said.

To learn more, listen to Dr. Wright's interview on WBAL-TV11's "The Woman's Doctor" at http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/18337082/detail.html.