Support for family carers: Avoiding carer burnout

Key takeaways

• Carer burnout may develop when caring responsibilities continue to outweigh the time, energy and support available to you.
• Common carer burnout symptoms may include ongoing exhaustion, irritability, withdrawal, sleep changes and difficulty concentrating.
• Small steps, such as asking for specific help and making time to rest, may help protect your wellbeing.
• Using respite care, caregiver support groups and professional mental health support may make the caring role feel more manageable.
• Reliable independent support workers may reduce day-to-day pressure while helping your loved one maintain routine, companionship and consistent support.

Caring for an ageing parent can require juggling different tasks. You may be organising appointments, managing funding and responding to changes in their health while also working, raising children and trying to maintain your own relationships and routines. Remember that a carer is different to a support worker. A carer is usually an unpaid family member or friend providing support, while a support worker is paid to provide care, whether through an agency or independently through a platform like Mable.

Feelings of guilt, exhaustion, anxiety and grief are common. According to a recent Carers Australia report, nearly 1 in 3 unpaid carers experienced high psychological distress.

When caring demands continue to outweigh a person’s time, energy and available support, this ongoing pressure may lead to carer burnout.

This article explains what caregiver burnout is and which carer burnout symptoms to look out for. Recognising the signs early may help you act before exhaustion begins to affect your health and ability to keep providing support.

What is carer burnout?

Carer burnout is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that can develop when caring responsibilities become overwhelming or continue without enough support or time to recover. It can be hard to recognise as it usually builds gradually, rather than appearing after one difficult day.

The many small tasks involved in caring may not always feel significant on their own. But calls, appointments, forms and urgent decisions can add up alongside work, family responsibilities and the emotional impact of watching a parent or loved one’s health change. Over time, the combined load may become too much to manage alone.

Managing care from a distance may add further uncertainty and anxiety. Many family carers may also put their own needs further down the list.

What are common carer burnout symptoms?

Carer burnout symptoms may be emotional, physical or behavioural. They can be different for each person and may include:

• Feeling exhausted most days, even after sleeping
• Becoming irritable, resentful, numb or emotionally detached
• Withdrawing from friends, family or activities you usually enjoy
• Finding it difficult to concentrate, remember information or make decisions
• Experiencing headaches, disrupted sleep or frequent illness
• Feeling there is no end in sight or that nothing you do is enough.

Noticing these signs doesn’t mean you’ve failed in caring for your loved one. Instead, recognising that you need rest and support can be a part of caring well. It can show that the current caring arrangement is asking too much of you and that it’s time to seek support.

What practical steps may prevent carer burnout?

Protecting your wellbeing can begin with small steps. These may help you create room to recover. You may like to consider some of these things:

• Be specific when asking for help. Give siblings, relatives or friends a clear task, such as attending an appointment, preparing a meal or making weekly check-in calls.
• Set realistic boundaries. Decide when you’re available, what requires an urgent response and which tasks can wait.
• Take small moments to recover. A regular walk, exercise class, quiet meal or phone call with a friend may be easier to maintain than waiting for a completely free day.
• Explore respite options. Planned short-term support may give you a chance to rest, attend your own appointments or focus on other responsibilities. Respite may be arranged for a few hours or for longer periods, depending on yours and your loved one’s needs.
• Connect with others. Caregiver support groups, online communities and counselling may help with feelings of isolation or loneliness. Carer Gateway offers in-person and online peer support for unpaid carers.
• Let go of perfection. Caregiver support doesn’t mean completing every task yourself. A more sustainable arrangement may involve sharing responsibility with family, or building a small care team of support workers.

How can the right support setup reduce the risk of carer burnout?

Reliable support may benefit both you and your loved one. When an independent support worker is in place, you can spend less time dealing with last-minute gaps and more time feeling confident that your loved one has consistent support.

Through Mable, you can manage your loved one’s support from wherever you are. In your online Mable account you can:

• Review upcoming support sessions
• Approve support hours
• Message independent support workers directly
• Keep track of bookings and invoices
• Review support notes.

A well-matched independent support worker may do more than complete practical tasks. They can provide companionship, maintain familiar routines and notice changes that should be shared. This can offer reassurance that your loved one is supported, even when you’re not able to be there in person or need time away to rest and recover.

Where can I get professional help for carer burnout?

Reaching out for mental health carer support is not a sign that you’re unable to cope. It may reflect your strength and self-awareness in recognising that your wellbeing matters too.

Carer burnout and grief may sometimes overlap, particularly when you are adjusting to changes in your parent’s health. If burnout, grief, anxiety or low mood feel significant, speaking with your GP may be a useful first step. You can discuss your physical and mental health with them. They might suggest suitable supports and assess whether a treatment plan may be appropriate.

Other Australian carer support options include:

• Carer Gateway, an Australian Government program offering free counselling, coaching, peer support and access to some respite services for carers.
• Better Access initiative, an Australian Government service which may help eligible people access Medicare benefits for services from psychologists and other mental health professionals.
• Carers Australia, state and territory carer organisations which may offer local information, programs and family caregiver support.

How can Mable support family carers?

Looking after an ageing parent can be one of the most loving, but also most demanding, things you do. And part of caring well is also looking after your own health and wellbeing.

If you feel overwhelmed in your carer’s role, your first step might be a family conversation, exploring respite opinions or making a GP appointment to talk about how you feel.

If you think the current care arrangement is placing too much pressure on you, talk to Mable’s support team about finding independent support workers and building a reliable support team for your loved one.