Who Cares For The Caregivers? We All Do

Nearly 44 million people in the United States, three-quarters of whom are women in their late 40s, spend at least 22 hours a week providing unpaid care to loved ones with a disability, illness, or terminal diagnosis, and one in four spend at least twice that amount. Typically, they assist with the activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and feeding their loved one, as well as taking care of shopping, finances, and transportation to and from medical appointments. These responsibilities generally last at least three years, with demands increasing as the loved one nears death. Caretaking offers emotional and other personal rewards, but when added to other family and personal responsibilities, it can impact the caregivers’ employment and their own personal well-being. Depression and burnout among caregivers can often lead to poor health choices, including turning to unhealthy use of substances. How can we support these unpaid millions who are themselves hurting? There are steps that can mitigate, or at least control, some undue stress for the caregiver. With attention focused on the patient, it is easy to overlook the needs of the caretaker. Because of their outsized responsibilities, caregivers report a reduction in the ability to experience positive activities in their own daily lives by almost a third in comparison to non-caregivers. It is estimated that between 40 percent and 70 percent of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depressio...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: End of Life & Serious Illness addiction Aging anxiety caregivers depression End-of-Life Mental Health mental health first aid National Council for Behavioral Health support services Source Type: blogs