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When Patricia San Pedro took on the duty of caring for her 103-year-old grandmother, she had to fit it in an already crowded schedule. As co-author of "Dish and Tell: Six Real Women Discuss How They Put Themselves at the Top of Their To-Do List" and president of Miami-based San Pedro Productions, a full-service marketing and public relations firm, her days were filled with satisfying the needs of her clients. But as her grandmother's condition deteriorated, San Pedro found herself providing almost round-the-clock care.

San Pedro had become one of as many as 52 million informal caregivers (unpaid individuals such as family members, friends and neighbors) providing care to someone aged 20 and older who is ill or disabled. And the number of unpaid family caregivers is expected to increase, reaching 37 million by 2050, an increase of 85 percent from 2000.

While research shows that caregiving does offer beneficial effects such as feeling positive about being able to help a disabled spouse, feeling appreciated by the recipient, and feeling that their relationship with him or her had improved, it can also take a toll on the provider's health. Caring for disabled or aged loved one has been linked to a 23 percent increase in stress hormones and a 15 percent reduction in antibody responses, which can result in conditions such as high blood pressure and glucose levels, increased risk of hypertension and diabetes and lowered immune response.

This makes it all the more essential that caregivers make time to safeguard their own health as well as the person for whom they are caring. Proactive approaches such as enjoying regular exercises, eating nutritiously, getting adequate sleep and seeing your doctor regularly or even a short relaxation exercise (such as at www.stressremedy.com) will keep you from wearing down at a time when your resources are most needed.

"You must give yourself down time, time to de-stress," says Cooper Lawrence PhD ABD and Fox News Channel psychology expert. "Otherwise your own health is at risk. [And realize] the aging parent is not trying to be difficult just as you were not trying to be a difficult infant. When you get frustrated, forgive yourself those feelings. Forgiveness is freeing and can help to take some of the stress away."

Joining a support network, either locally or an online communities, can provide useful tips and reduce your sense of isolation.

April Masini, advice columnist on www.AskApril.com and best-selling author of four books, says learning to delegate responsibilities amongst family members is essential, regardless of where the parent is, or will be, residing. If your parent will be living with you, one sibling can provide transportation to medical appointments while another can have regularly scheduled "respite care"duties so you can both have free time.

Even those living at a distance can help, either by coming to stay or taking the parent to their home for a vacation or providing financial assistance to help cover expenses. And don't forget to investigate community resources that may be free, or available at low cost.

As for moving your parent in with you, "compare the outcomes to choose the one that works best for all involved," Masini says. Other options include either having a caregiver live with your parent or moving him or her to an assisted living facility or continuing care retirement community (CCRC).

As you schedule your tasks, make time to "care and nurture your own soul," says San Pedro "Invite friends to come over. Even if you can't leave the house, make some time to have fun at home with those who love you. It's all part of life [but] if you let it consume you, it will make you ill."

Want more on taking care of body and soul?

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