Caregivers of Individuals with Disabilities:
- Manage additional obligations related to medical, educational, vocational, and other service needs for the individual with Down syndrome.
- They are often responsible for balancing the needs of other children, spouse, extended family, work, and household responsibilities.
- They may be required to play many challenging roles: nurse, rehabilitative therapist, and advocate (school, healthcare, socially) which limits time for self-care.
- Have the potential for maladaptive coping (substance use, over or under eating, over or under compensating for child).
- 44% have clinically significant depression, and 42% suffer from anxiety (Gilson et al., 2017).
Know the Signs of Caregiver Burnout
- Physical: feeling ‘off’ or experiencing ongoing pain and discomfort (headaches, joint and muscle stiffness, poor digestion, unable to sleep).
- Mental: feeling down and/or on edge more often than not (easily irritated, trouble relaxing or concentrating, persistent sadness or lack of energy).
- Social: not being able to connect to others (avoiding social situations, lack of desire to connect with others, frequently fighting with loved ones and friends).
Prioritize your Well-being
With support groups, respite events, programs tailored to families with Down syndrome, and one-on-one caregiver services, we are here for you.
- Support Groups
- Respite Events
- Mentor program
- Social meetups
- Educational seminars
- One-on-one support
- Connection to resources in the community
- Language interpretation
Contact Our Care Team
Call or email our care team when you feel overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities. We’ll set up a one-on-one meeting to discuss your needs.
Sherry Klauer
Caregiving Support Manager
sklauer@virginiadsa.org
(804) 256-6243
Jasmine Samuel
Family Care Director
jsamuel@virginiadsa.org
(804) 256-6243
