Being kind to yourself

What exactly is well-treatment?

The well-treatment of caregivers means recognizing their needs, experience and expertise. By adopting positive and respectful behaviours towards caregivers, people being cared for, family members and institutions contribute to valorizing their contribution and support.

For some time now, we’ve also been hearing about the importance of well-treatment for oneself. As a caregiver, how can you develop well-treatment? First and foremost, by recognizing yourself as a caregiver and taking pride in the work you do.

Then, by identifying your needs and limitations. Understanding the risks associated with the role of caregiver also enables you to develop various strategies to help prevent burnout.

Finding a balance between the different spheres of your life is another way of taking care of yourself.

And don’t forget that there are resources available to help you.

Well-treatment also means accepting help.

Well-treatment to prevent mistreatment?

If you take good care of yourself, you’ll be able to carry out your role under the best possible conditions, both for your own well-being and that of the person you’re caring for.

Conversely, a caregiver who is overwhelmed by their role, exhausted, isolated, etc. runs the risk of mistreating the person they are caring for. Abuse encompasses all kinds of attitudes, words and gestures that may be harmful to the well-being or integrity of the person being cared for:

• showing disinterest or insensitivity
• administering medication inappropriately
• denying the person their privacy
• pressuring the person to change their will
• using disrespectful, ageist language
• etc.

In a caregiving context, mistreatment is often unintentional, i.e., the caregiver has no intention of causing harm, or does not understand the harm they are causing.

Either way, it can have serious consequences for the person being cared for.

Certain characteristics can predispose a person to mistreatment. The stress and difficulties associated with the role of caregiver, a mental health issue and poor general health are among the main factors associated with the abuser. For example, a caregiver at the end of their rope may notice changes in their own behaviour, mood or emotional state.

Even if the presence of risk and vulnerability factors does not systematically lead to situations of mistreatment, it is important to take action at an early stage to prevent their occurrence.

Raising awareness among caregivers and those around them