Open up about how you’re feeling — It’s important to talk about how you’re feeling with someone you trust, especially if you’re struggling. 60% of employees with eldercare responsibilities state it has negatively impacted their mental health. Sharing your feelings with family members or friends can help you to feel supported. Together you can discuss different options of support that may be helpful in managing your caring responsibilities.
With all that’s going on in our country, our economy, the world, and on social media, it feels like so many of us are under a great deal of stress. Caring for elderly or aging parents can be particularly stress-inducing. We know chronic stress can be as unhealthy as smoking a quarter of a pack a day. What are stress management strategies that people use to become “Stress-Proof? What are some great tweaks, hacks, and tips that help reduce or even eliminate stress when caring for our aging parents? In this interview series, we are talking to authors, and mental health experts, who can share their strategies for reducing or eliminating stress. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing James Bush.
James Bush is Commercial Director and Lead at Seniorcare By Lottie — an elder care employee benefits solution. James works with businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK to help them support employees in finding the best elderly care for their loved ones. He is an advocate for encouraging informal caregivers to prioritise their wellbeing when juggling work and caregiving responsibilities.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to know how you got from “there to here.” Inspire us with your backstory!
I’m passionate about supporting families to find the best care options for their loved ones after going through these struggles with my own family. That’s why I was attracted to Lottie and Seniorcare By Lottie’s mission to support informal caregivers juggling care responsibilities, work and other commitments.
Before joining Lottie, I worked at a startup in the automotive industry, which grew to become one of the most recognised brands in the UK. Inspired by my knowledge and experience of growing a startup, I joined Lottie’s mission to elevate later living, helping families to find the best care for their loved ones at an affordable price, reducing the typical worries and stress associated with the care-seeking journey.
What lessons would you share with yourself if you had the opportunity to meet your younger self?
Reflecting on my journey so far has made me realise many life lessons I’d share with my younger self. Firstly, I’d emphasise the importance of building meaningful connections with people by spending time to understand how others think, act, and behave. This has also helped me to manage and negotiate successful business deals as a commercial director.
Adaptability would be another key lesson. Life is unpredictable, and being open to change is crucial. Embracing new experiences and staying resilient in the face of challenges bring lots of opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Finding a balance between ambition and empathy has also helped me to succeed. I always approach my goals with determination but never lose sight of the impact one’s actions have on others. It is this mindset that has helped me to positively contribute to Lottie’s mission to elevate later living for everybody.
None of us are able to experience success without support along the way. Is there a particular person for whom you are grateful because of the support they gave you to grow you from “there to here?” Can you share that story and why you are grateful for them?
I’m grateful for all my friends and family throughout the years. My family has helped shape the person I am today and has been the driving force behind all my successes along the way.
Of course, I am also thankful to all of the colleagues I have met through the years and those who took a chance on me early on in my career in the commercial world to learn and develop to now as the Commercial Director at Lottie.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think it might help people?
At Lottie, we have recently launched our homecare marketplace, which is aimed at helping families get the best care and support for their loved ones in the comfort of their own homes. It’s an exciting time as we’re able to offer support to care seekers through every part of their care journey including advice on the cost of care, finding specialist support, or the best type of care for their unique requirements.
We’re one step closer to redefining the care-seeking journey and elevating later living for the better.
Ok, thank you for sharing your inspired life. Let’s now talk about stress. How would you define stress?
Stress is a natural response to a challenging situation. Everyone experiences stress differently, but a few symptoms include increased irritability or mood swings, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, and physical symptoms such as headaches or muscle pain.
For informal carers, stress often arises from the emotional and physical strain of providing care for their elderly loved ones whilst juggling other commitments such as work commitments or childcare.
In the Western world, humans typically have their shelter, food, and survival needs met. So what has led to this chronic stress? Why are so many of us always stressed out?
Chronic stress occurs when you experience the signs and symptoms of stress for a prolonged period, which can negatively impact your health and wellbeing.
There are lots of reasons many people can experience chronic stress. For example, societal pressures, living a fast-paced lifestyle, and caregiving responsibilities such as looking after an elderly loved one.
The constant pressures to keep up with a modern lifestyle can often leave many of us feeling drained and exhausted. It’s important to take time out of your day to switch off and do the things you enjoy. Whether this is being outdoors, socialising with friends and family or exercising, it’s important to find what helps you to alleviate stress.
What are some of the physical manifestations of being under a lot of stress? How does the human body react to stress?
Being under stress for long periods of time can have a devastating impact on our physical and mental health. Some signs and symptoms of stress to look out for are.
- Fatigue
- Muscle tension and soreness
- Irritability and mood swings
- Changes in appetite
If you start to experience stress symptoms, it’s important to take time to relax to enjoy your hobbies and switch off from your worries. Everyone alleviates stress differently, so finding what works for you is important.
Is stress necessarily a bad thing? Can stress ever be good for us?
Stress is not always bad; in fact, some level of stress can be beneficial, motivating you to overcome challenges and perform at your best. For example, nerves before a job interview or a work presentation can encourage you to perform at your best. However, chronic, or excessive stress can have negative consequences, impacting your physical and mental health — especially when juggling caregiving responsibilities and other commitments.
Let’s now focus more on the stress of caring for elderly or aging parents. This feels intuitive, but it is helpful to spell it out in order to address it. Can you help articulate a few reasons why caring for our aging parents can be so stressful?
7.7 million people in the UK currently have caregiving responsibilities for an older friend or relative. Looking after elderly parents can be stressful as it involves coping with the emotional impact of their ageing process, managing increased responsibilities in their daily lives and healthcare, and sometimes dealing with financial pressures.
Previous research has found that 78% of carers are feeling more anxious and 55% reported that they suffered from depression because of their caring role.
The role reversal and the emotional pressures of caregiving add an extra layer of complexity, making it a challenging yet deeply meaningful journey.
What’s more, many informal carers are juggling care responsibilities for elderly loved ones as well as other commitments such as work, childcare, or socialising with friends. Meaning many carers can feel overwhelmed and alone in their situation.
Can you share with our readers your “5 Things You Can Do To Reduce Stress When Caring For Your Elderly Or Aging Parents”? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
- Open up about how you’re feeling — It’s important to talk about how you’re feeling with someone you trust, especially if you’re struggling. 60% of employees with eldercare responsibilities state it has negatively impacted their mental health. Sharing your feelings with family members or friends can help you to feel supported. Together you can discuss different options of support that may be helpful in managing your caring responsibilities.
- Practice stress management techniques — Caregiving can be a rewarding but challenging role. If you start to feel overwhelmed by the pressures of caregiving responsibilities, it is important to find stress management techniques that work for you. One of the fastest ways to calm down if you’re feeling stressed is to practise mindfulness. Try to take slow, deep breaths and focus on the present. Focusing on your breathing helps your body to destress and alleviate anxiety. Regular exercising and talking to someone you trust are also practical stress management techniques.
- Find a support network — Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding but challenging job, so it’s important to be able to lean on a support network. Joining a local support group for carers can help you feel connected to others in similar situations and access additional information and support services that can help you manage your caregiving responsibilities. There are lots of support groups for carers available across the UK — search online for Carers UK and Age UK, and you’ll find local groups in your area.
- Become familiar with financial support available to carers — Caring for someone you love can lead to money worries, especially if you have had to give up your career or reduce your working hours. It’s important to know you are not alone in this, 80% of employees with care responsibilities have shared financial stress impacts their performance at work. However, you may be able to claim financial support from your local council. Following a carers assessment with your local council, you may be eligible for a carer’s personal budget — Carer’s Allowance. Similarly, you may also be entitled to financial support for additional care services to meet your loved ones needs.
- Create an emergency plan — If your loved one becomes unwell, creating an emergency plan can help to put any anxiety or worries at ease.
Putting together a list of important information such as the personal details of your loved one, who should be contacted if there is an emergency, details of any medication, GP contact information, details of ongoing treatments and any additional support they require can help create a well detailed care plan. Which will be of great help if needed at a critical time or if you’re unable to care for your loved one.
It’s a good idea to share a copy of an emergency care plan with family members and medical professionals, as well as reviewing and updating the plan regularly.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that have inspired you to live with more joy in life?
I enjoy presentations and books from Simon Sinek, English-born American author and inspirational speaker on business leadership, as well as Ted Talks which are usually inspiring and thought provoking.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I am passionate about elevating later living and making the process of finding care easier for families and their loved ones. Through my role as Commercial Director at Lottie, I would love to address common misconceptions of ageing and later living.
My goal is to empower caregivers and care seekers to find the best care for their loved ones at an affordable price. As well as helping elderly people across the world to live a happier, healthier, and more fulfilled later life. It would be great to inspire people across the world to join me on this journey to improve the standards and expectations of eldercare for the better.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
There are various ways you can join the Seniorcare By Lottie community and find out more about how we support employees juggling work and care commitments.
Our website (https://lottie.org/seniorcare/) includes detailed information on our mission, how Seniorcare works and how businesses can support their employees with eldercare responsibilities.
You can also follow our social media accounts such as our LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/company/seniorcarebylottie/) where we often share useful information and free resources to educate employers and employees on the eldercare support available to them.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.