COUNSELLING NEEDS FOR CAREGIVERS WORKING WITHVULNERABLE OLDER ADULTS

Abstract

Caregivers who work with vulnerable older adults face multifaceted emotional, psychological, and practical
challenges that can significantly impact their well-being and effectiveness in providing care. This paper explores
the counselling needs of both formal and informal caregivers who support vulnerable older adults experiencing
physical frailty, chronic illness, cognitive decline, and social vulnerability. Sources of stress were identified:
multimorbidity and care recipient healthy complexity, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, low social
support, lack of awareness or lack of support resources, among others. The caregiving role often exposes
individuals to distressing experiences such as witnessing the decline, chronic illness, or death of the older adults
in their care. These encounters may result in emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and diminished empathy,
all of which negatively impact caregivers’ well-being. The following suggestions were made: Counsellors should
provide coping strategies such as relaxation techniques, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioural skills, and emotional
processing to reduce burnout and promote psychological resilience. Counsellors should equip caregivers with
knowledge about ageing-related conditions, behavioural changes in older adults, communication techniques, and
realistic expectations. This empowers caregivers to understand the caregiving process better and reduces
frustration, fear, and helplessness. Counsellors should help caregivers to develop time-management skills, explore
social support systems, and create healthy boundaries to manage role conflict and reduce role overload.
Counsellors should help them process these emotions, prepare psychologically, and develop effective coping
mechanisms during transitions or medical emergencies.