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Dementia and Family Stress, Leading to Caregiver Burnout

ReaDementia Team Blog, Prevention December 27, 2021December 27, 2021burnout, caregiver, dementia, stress

Watching a loved one’s memory decline in front of your eyes is emotionally tiring and comes with a wide range of daily responsibilities. Someone whom you knew to be mentally sharp, stable, and independent is now becoming less functional, and starts to show many changes in their behaviour and mood patterns. In this article we address Dementia and family stress.

How To Prevent Stress and Burnout in Dementia Caregiver?

Looking after a family member or someone else who has a dementia onset is not just immensely challenging in terms of the responsibilities associated with this role, but also comes with a host of mental and emotional difficulties that often leave caregivers in a deep state of stress and burnout.

In this article, I’ll discuss the causes that lead people, who look after someone with cognitive decline, to experience burnout. I’ll also point out the signs that are worth paying attention to when it comes to this psychological state.

Further, I will also provide some support tips for how caregivers can prevent stress to take over and affect their mental health.

Emotional Costs of Providing Care to an Individual with Memory Decline

If you have ever been in the position where you are responsible for an elderly’s health, you know this too well – providing care is not just about feeding, bathing, and administering medication to a vulnerable person.

Most of the time, the stress you experience when you are in a caregiver role has more to do with the emotional and mental impact of the job than with the physical responsibilities per se.

Surely, doing your best to keep your loved one with dementia safe and to make sure they attend their medical appointments does take a toll on your health, however, the real stress comes from other aspects.

Perhaps the distress caused by seeing your loved one’s mental health decline is so overwhelming that you can barely process it for yourself, let alone be strong enough to look after them.

You might stay awake at night wondering if they are going to fall, move away from their room or have an accident. Or perhaps their mood swings, uncontrollable behaviors and anger outbursts are so intense that you are left with very little mental energy to attend to your own life.

No matter what the most vulnerable aspect of the care is for you, it is important to know that feeling tired and stressed is very common among dementia caregivers.

Also, it might be helpful to know in advance how you can best handle burnout if you ever experience it.

Identifying Signs of Dementia and Family Stress

Alzheimer’s and Dementia are neurodegenerative diseases that require family members and caregivers to be increasingly more involved in the care of the individual affected by them.

As signs and symptoms of dementia advance, the behaviours, personality, and health of the affected individual worsen, making the care more complex and demanding.

This puts increased pressure on family members and caregivers involved in the care process, who are more likely to develop symptoms of stress and burnout.

According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, burnout is a psychological phenomenon defined by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, increased negativity, depersonalization, and a loss of interest in previously enjoyed things.

It is a common condition amongst caregivers due to the high demands and stresses created by this role.

Although the causes of burnout are complex and not yet entirely understood by research, it is believed that chronic and poorly managed stress is what leads those in a caregiver role to develop burnout symptoms.

It is highly important that all caregivers educate themselves on how to detect the first signs of burnout in order to seek support as early as possible.

Although this condition can show in subtle signs at first, be sure to look out for the following symptoms:

Fatigue

Extreme tiredness that does not go away with usual sleep or rest can indicate that you might be at risk of developing burnout.

Listen to your body and ensure that you give yourself plenty of time to recharge for all the effort you invest into looking after your loved one.

Irritability and mood swings

Due to the constant pressure of having to provide for a vulnerable senior, some people can experience mood changes and irritability.

This can trigger negative responses and impulses towards the people around them.

Lack of concentration

Due to sleeplessness and constant exhaustion, dementia caregivers might find that their concentration is impaired, and their cognitive skills are significantly affected.

Anxiety and depression

These two conditions can often manifest altogether. Some caregivers might feel increasingly worried about their loved one’s future while at the same time experiencing feelings of hopelessness and despair.

Having to figure out so many aspects of someone with dementia’s life can be challenging and frustrating, leading to symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Sleeplessness

Some caregivers might have impaired sleeping problems due to ongoing worries about their loved one. They might feel the pressure to be alert and available at all times, even during the night, which leads to issues with rest and sleep.

Dealing with Caregiver Burnout

It’s true that many family caregivers are so overburdened with responsibilities that they rarely get the chance to prioritise self-care.

Looking after someone with dementia can feel like a part-time job. Research shows that the average caregiver spends around 23.7 hours per week providing care to a loved one.

Besides work and other family commitments, this can really add significant pressure on many caregivers, who are left with the feeling that they need to be available to the loved one with dementia 24/7.

However, the only way of avoiding or coping with first signs of burnout is to prioritise self-care as much as possible.

Me time

Setting time aside to recharge and recover from ongoing stressors is the only way to renew your emotional resources and to continue to be available to the vulnerable person as much as you can.

Failing to look after your emotional needs and to attend to the physical tiredness can backfire on your physical and mental health, which results in resentment and built-up anger. Ultimately, this can lead to a real burnout where you lack physical and emotional reserves to cope with the unavoidable challenges.

Set clear and realistic expectations

Another way of dealing with and preventing burnout is to be as realistic as possible regarding the support you are able to offer to the loved one with dementia.

As neurodegeneration progresses, the complexity of the care needed also increases. As a result, it is almost impossible for one single individual to meet all the needs of a senior with dementia.

Setting clear and realistic expectations on the amount of care you are able to offer can prevent you from experiencing feelings of guilt, self-blame and doubt.

Seek support

Similarly, asking for professional support is highly recommended for dementia caregivers who find themselves overburdened with responsibilities.

If you suffer from mental health conditions like anxiety, stress, or depression, you can get in touch with mental health professionals or counsellors who can help you better manage your resources and cope with daily challenges.

Tips to Manage Dementia and Family Stress

Recognising that the caregiver role brings a lot of stress with it should determine people in this role to implement strategies and measures that make more resilient, such as:

Educating yourself

Being a dementia caregiver requires more skills as the disease of your loved one progresses. As a result, you might want to access training courses of resources that better equip you to deal with the changes in behaviour and personality of the person diagnosed with dementia. It might also be helpful for you to talk to other caregivers about their experience with this matter.

Look after yourself

Prioritize sleep, good nutrition and see your doctor regularly. Prioritize your needs for rest and listen to your body when it needs a break.

Use relaxation techniques

This can be engaging in a hobby that you like or attending a yoga class. Breathing techniques, meditation, and visualisation techniques are also proven as highly effective methods in alleviating stress and tension.

Exercise weekly

Being active relieves mental stress and releases endorphins, a feel-good hormone that increases feelings of relaxation. Research shows that exercise also aids in conditions such as depression and anxiety, which are often found in people who suffer from chronic stress and burnout

Sort out legal and financial plans

Having all legal and financial aspects sorted can provide comfort to the entire family, thus relieving caregivers of the extra pressure associated with those aspects. Make sure that you involve the individual with dementia in their financial planning and seek legal and financial counsel so that you do not have to worry about these things in the future.

Final Words

Unfortunately, being a dementia caregiver can be a difficult burden to bear even for the most resilient of us.

Therefore, when dealing with dementia and family stress, it is important to ensure that you prioritize self-care and seek mental health support whenever you see a decline in your wellbeing.

Staying in touch with other family members and delegating responsibilities is also a good solution whenever this is possible.

Recognising that the caregiver role can put a lot of pressure on your mental, physical and emotional well-being is the first step in knowing how to access the relevant resources that help prevent chronic stress and burnout.

Stress and Dementia (Is There a Link?)

Petra Boh Blog, Signs June 10, 2021October 15, 2021dementia, stress

When looking into the causes of dementia, we wondered many times whether there is a connection between stress and dementia risk.

News usually reports that there is a link between the two.

Below we discuss what stress is, WHY stress is linked to dementia, the EFFECTS of stress on the brain, STUDIES on the link between dementia and stress, and some of the ways to REDUCE stress.

Reasons Stress is Linked to Dementia

There are several logical reasons why there is a connection between stress and dementia.

For one, stress is known to affect a person’s IMMUNE SYSTEM which plays a major role in dementia development.

When a person is going through stress, the body releases a hormone known as cortisol.

This has been linked to issues with memory.

Stress is also CLOSELY linked to conditions like anxiety and depression. These have been documented as factors that can increase the risk of dementia.

Effects of Stress on the Brain

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public health presented a study explaining how stressful life events can age the brain about 1.5 years.

They also clarified that some stressful experiences may lead to the development of different kinds of dementia later on in life. This was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London.

Researchers assessed data from 1,320 participants who took part in cognitive tests and shared details about their stressful life events. The professionals discovered that each stressful event was equal to one and a half years of brain aging.

The statistics were different for African-Americans because a single stressful event was equal to four years of brain aging.

Although the link between dementia and stress needs more investigation, professionals believe that stress can lead to inflammation in the brain making the organ more susceptible to HEALTH ISSUES like dementia.

Stress can also cause depression which is another risk factor for dementia.

Stressful experiences

Examples of stressful experiences that are linked to damaging the brain include but are not limited to:

Being suspended or expelled from school
Getting fired from a job
A cheating partner
Financial problems
Death of a loved one
Dropping out of school
Legal difficulties
Being jobless
Assault

Research on the Link Between Stress and Dementia

While there have been numerous studies looking into the relationship between dementia and stress, there is no general agreement on what the exact link is.

One of the main reasons for this is that it is challenging for researchers to conclusively investigate stress.

This is because different people have different reactions to stressful situations.

It is also hard to quantify how stressed an individual is.

Other factors that are hard to separate may also come into play.

For instance, the role of lack of sleep, depression, and anxiety all of which have been associated with an INCREASED risk of dementia.

The complications explain why it may be challenging to carry out extensive research on the role that stress has in the risk of dementia.

Despite this, professionals still work hard to try and explain the connection between increased dementia risk and stress.

Below are some of the studies that have been conducted on the relationship between stress and dementia.

Studies

New research reported that PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is a potential risk factor for dementia development.

PTSD is normally caused by childhood trauma, being a victim of abuse or violence, and traumatic experiences like war.

The study was the first to attempt to quantify the risk of developing dementia associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The team thoroughly searched around 8,000 papers to identify existing studies across the globe. Focusing on different populations examining the relationship between future dementia risk and PTSD.

Data collected from different studies indicated that PTDS was associated with increased dementia risk.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

The researchers concluded that post-traumatic stress disorder was a strong but modifiable risk factor for the progressive illness.

To identify if there is a potential link between stress and dementia, researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK in 2021 started a 3-year study. Investigating the effects of chronic stress on individuals with MCI (mild cognitive impairment) and a control group of 70 people over 50 years without any memory problems.

All the participants were assessed for STRESS LEVELS as well as any progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

After years of following up, taking into consideration numerous factors, the study suggested that objective psychological stress is one of the risk factors for cognitive decline.

Stress, women and dementia

Another study also reported that midlife stress may increase the risk of developing dementia. Researchers came to this conclusion after conducting a study of 800 women living in Sweden.

The professionals followed the ladies for almost 4 decades.

Even though the study did not include men, the results suggested that stress may have long-term detrimental effects on everyone.

The researchers examined the long-term cognitive and medical health of the ladies.

The women underwent regular health assessments every 5-10 years including searching for symptoms of memory loss of Alzheimer’s and other dementia types.

When the study began the ladies were asked whether they had experienced MAJOR STRESSES like illness of a family member, divorce, or death of a child or spouse, and other sources of stress.

About 25% of the ladies had experienced a major life stressful experience. 23% had gone through two stressful events, 20% had experienced at least 3, while 16% had gone through 4 or more stressful experiences.

Around 1 in 5 women developed dementia during the follow-up period.

The ladies that reported the most stressful experiences in middle age were at 21% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in old age.

15% also recorded a higher risk of developing other dementia types.

The authors acknowledged that more studies need to be done to confirm the results.

Tips for Reducing Stress

Seeing that there may be a connection between stress and dementia, it may be helpful to try and avoid or reduce stress as it may reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Some of the steps that people can take to help reduce stressful events include:

Identifying sources of stress and avoiding them
Addressing stress triggers and accepting help with the situations. People should aim to look for something positive even in the most difficult situations
Knowing limits and establishing boundaries
Changing stressful environments to an alternative that is quiet and relaxing
Identify relaxing techniques to adapt when feeling overwhelmed or stressed. This can be anything from meditation, yoga, exercising, journaling, listening to music, gardening, or watching TV, etc.
Talking to someone you trust about current feelings. It can be a friend, relative, or professional counselor
Take breaks as needed to help conserve energy
Letting things that are out of control go
Social engagement like joining a club (See our group activity recommendations)
Getting a pet
Sleep well
Eat healthy food
Take part in brain-stimulating activities like playing games

Stress and Dementia Closing Thoughts

Even though evidence points to a strong relationship between stress and dementia risk, more research needs to be done on this topic.

More conclusive results can help professionals come up with effective ways of preventing, managing, or treating dementia.

Bonus: What is Stress?

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes stress as how the body and brain respond to any demand.

This can be any kind of challenges such as performance at school/work, traumatic event, or a significant life change. Symptoms of stress include sweating, pounding heart, and tense muscles amongst others.

These warning signs are supposed to disappear as soon as the danger passes, but some individuals experience stressed feelings for longer periods.

This can result in chronic or prolonged stress that can be severe and have serious effects on a person’s physical, mental, and emotional being.

Memory Loss Causes: 12 Common Reasons for Forgetfulness

Trevor Howitt Blog, Causes January 7, 2021August 23, 2026memory, memory loss, stress

Brain model illustrating common memory loss causes

Memory loss causes can range from everyday problems such as stress and poor sleep to medication side effects, nutritional deficiencies and medical conditions.

Forgetting something occasionally does not necessarily mean that a person has dementia. Mild forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging, while more significant or worsening memory problems deserve medical attention.

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), memory problems may be associated with medical conditions, medications, mental health, sleep problems, nutritional deficiencies, alcohol or drug misuse and other factors.

Some of these causes may be treatable or reversible. For this reason, persistent or unexplained memory loss should be assessed rather than automatically assumed to be dementia.

Common Memory Loss Causes: 12 Reasons You May Be Forgetful

1. Stress

Periods of significant or ongoing stress can make it harder to concentrate, process information and remember things.

When your attention is divided by worry or emotional pressure, information may not be encoded into memory as effectively in the first place. This can make everyday forgetfulness more noticeable.

The NIA includes stressful life events and negative emotions among factors that may cause temporary memory problems. Stress-related forgetfulness may improve as the stressful situation and associated emotions ease.

Long-term stress may also affect sleep, mood and general health, which can further influence memory and concentration.

If memory problems continue after a stressful period has passed, it is worth discussing them with a healthcare professional.

2. Medications

Medication side effects are another possible cause of memory problems, particularly in older adults who take several medicines.

Some medications can contribute to confusion, drowsiness, reduced concentration or forgetfulness. The effect may also result from an interaction between different medicines rather than one drug alone.

The Mayo Clinic lists certain medicines and combinations of medicines among potentially reversible causes of memory loss.

If memory problems begin after starting or changing medication, speak with a doctor or pharmacist. Do not stop prescription medicines without medical advice.

It is also useful to keep an up-to-date list of all prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and supplements and share it with each healthcare professional you see.

3. Alcohol and Drug Misuse

Heavy alcohol use can interfere with the brain’s ability to form and retrieve memories.

Alcohol can produce short-term memory gaps or blackouts after heavy drinking. Prolonged excessive alcohol use can also contribute to nutritional deficiencies and alcohol-related brain damage.

In particular, severe thiamine, or vitamin B1, deficiency associated with chronic alcohol misuse can lead to serious neurological conditions such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Alcohol and drug misuse are included by the NIA among factors that can contribute to memory problems.

Our article on alcohol and dementia looks more closely at how long-term alcohol consumption can affect the brain.

4. Vitamin B12 and Other Nutritional Deficiencies

The brain and nervous system depend on an adequate supply of nutrients to function normally.

Low vitamin B12 is particularly important because deficiency can cause neurological and cognitive symptoms, including confusion and memory problems.

The NIA identifies low levels of important nutrients such as vitamin B12 as one of the possible memory loss causes that should be considered.

Vitamin B12 occurs naturally in foods such as:

Fish and seafood
Meat
Eggs
Milk and other dairy products
Foods fortified with vitamin B12

However, a person can develop B12 deficiency even when their diet appears adequate because some medical conditions and medications affect absorption.

A doctor can investigate possible deficiency with appropriate tests. Read more in our guide to vitamin B12 and dementia.

5. Traumatic Brain Injury

A concussion or more serious traumatic brain injury (TBI) can affect memory, attention and the ability to learn new information.

Memory loss around the time of an injury is common. Some people have difficulty remembering events immediately before or after the injury, while others experience longer-lasting cognitive problems.

The severity and duration of memory symptoms vary considerably depending on the location and extent of the injury.

Even a relatively minor head injury can sometimes cause memory problems, which is why a noticeable change following a fall or accident should be medically assessed.

See our detailed article on dementia and traumatic brain injury for more information.

6. Depression, Anxiety and Grief

Memory is closely connected with attention and concentration. Depression, anxiety, grief and major emotional events can therefore make a person feel unusually forgetful.

Someone coping with bereavement, for example, may have difficulty concentrating on conversations or remembering everyday information because so much mental and emotional energy is directed toward the loss.

Depression and anxiety can also interfere with sleep and motivation, further affecting cognitive performance.

The NIA identifies depression and anxiety, along with major stressful or traumatic life events, among factors that may contribute to memory problems.

Memory symptoms associated with emotional distress can sometimes improve as the underlying condition improves. Persistent symptoms should still be discussed with a healthcare professional.

People coping with bereavement may also find our information on coping after the death of someone with dementia helpful.

7. Smoking and Vascular Health

Smoking is better understood as a risk factor for poor cardiovascular and brain health than as an immediate cause of ordinary forgetfulness.

Smoking damages blood vessels and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Healthy blood flow is important because the brain requires a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients.

Over time, vascular damage can contribute to cognitive impairment and increase the risk of vascular dementia and other forms of dementia.

Stopping smoking benefits both cardiovascular and brain health. Our article on smoking and dementia examines this relationship in more detail.

8. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, describes memory or thinking difficulties that are greater than expected for a person’s age but are not severe enough to prevent most normal everyday activities.

Signs may include:

Losing things more often
Forgetting appointments or important events
Having more difficulty finding words
Noticing increasing problems with memory or thinking

MCI is not the same as dementia.

Some people with MCI remain stable or even improve, while others eventually develop Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. There is no single cause of MCI, so medical assessment is important.

9. Sleep Problems

Sleep plays an important role in attention, learning and memory.

A poor night’s sleep can make it difficult to concentrate the following day. Repeated sleep deprivation can make these problems more noticeable.

Sleep disorders may also contribute. For example, obstructive sleep apnea repeatedly interrupts normal breathing during sleep and can affect daytime alertness and cognitive functioning.

The NIA includes sleep problems among possible causes of memory difficulties.

If someone regularly snores heavily, stops breathing during sleep, wakes repeatedly or remains very tired during the day despite spending enough time in bed, they should discuss these symptoms with a healthcare professional.

Read more about the relationship between sleep and dementia.

10. Stroke and Other Brain Conditions

Memory problems can sometimes result from conditions that directly affect the brain.

A stroke occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Depending on which areas are affected, a stroke can cause problems with memory, language, reasoning and other cognitive abilities.

Some small strokes produce relatively subtle symptoms and may only be discovered during medical investigation.

The NIA also notes that blood clots, brain tumors and infections can cause memory problems.

Sudden memory loss or confusion, particularly when accompanied by facial drooping, weakness, speech difficulty, severe headache or problems walking, requires urgent medical attention.

Learn more about stroke and dementia.

11. Underactive Thyroid (Hypothyroidism)

An underactive thyroid, also called hypothyroidism, occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone.

Symptoms can include fatigue, feeling cold, weight changes, low mood, slowed thinking and difficulty concentrating. Some people also experience memory problems.

Because these symptoms can sometimes resemble aspects of cognitive decline, thyroid function is one of the medical issues a doctor may investigate when assessing unexplained memory changes.

Hypothyroidism can usually be detected with blood tests and treated when appropriate.

This is another reason not to assume that new memory problems automatically indicate Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

12. Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Persistent and progressively worsening memory loss can sometimes be caused by dementia.

Dementia is not one disease. It is a general term describing a decline in cognitive abilities severe enough to interfere with everyday life.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. Memory problems are often one of its earliest symptoms, although Alzheimer’s can also affect reasoning, language, judgment and behavior.

Other forms include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia.

Importantly, dementia is not a normal or inevitable part of getting older. Many people remain cognitively healthy well into advanced age.

Normal Forgetfulness or Something More Serious?

Occasional forgetfulness happens to almost everyone.

The National Institute on Aging explains that normal age-related forgetfulness can include occasionally making a poor decision, forgetting which day it is and remembering later, or sometimes losing things.

More serious memory problems interfere with everyday life.

Examples that warrant medical attention can include:

Asking the same questions repeatedly
Getting lost in familiar places
Having difficulty following familiar instructions or recipes
Becoming increasingly confused about people, places or time
Having difficulty managing normal daily activities
Memory problems that are becoming noticeably worse

If you are concerned about your own memory or that of someone close to you, seeking an assessment can help identify the cause.

Why Identifying Memory Loss Causes Matters

There is no single explanation for memory loss.

Some memory loss causes, such as medication effects, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid problems, sleep difficulties or emotional conditions, may be treatable. Others, including Alzheimer’s disease and certain neurological conditions, require different forms of medical care and support.

A healthcare professional may review symptoms, medications and medical history and carry out physical, neurological, cognitive or laboratory tests where appropriate.

Getting an accurate diagnosis is far more useful than assuming that forgetfulness is simply aging or, at the other extreme, assuming that every memory lapse means dementia.

Closing Thoughts on Memory Loss Causes

Memory changes can happen for many reasons.

Stress, medication side effects, alcohol misuse, vitamin deficiencies, head injury, depression, poor sleep and thyroid problems are just some possibilities. Mild cognitive impairment, stroke and dementia can also affect memory.

The important point is that memory loss does not automatically mean dementia.

If memory problems are new, worsening, persistent or beginning to interfere with everyday life, speak with a doctor. Identifying the cause is the first step toward deciding what treatment, support or further investigation may be appropriate.

Dementia: Everything You Need to Know

Alzheimer’s Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Early Signs of Dementia

Vitamin B12 and Dementia