Caring for Caregivers

While we are on the subject of caregivers (in case you missed yesterday’s post ….) I was interested in the article published in the NY Times earlier this month on the impact caregiving has on caregivers. After all, it is a 24/7/365 job.  Love and Burnout: Caregivers, Too, Need Care discusses both the emotional and financial costs of caregiving. “Though caregiving can be a profound and moving journey, caregivers’ needs are often overlooked. The health care system is mainly focused on patients; caregivers who are slowly burning out can slip by unnoticed until it is too late.” 

We have all seen studies about the physical manifestations of stress, but do we all realize that the physical impact can continue long after the stress is gone? “Researchers have found that the human immune system can be weakened by stress and strain for up to three years after caregiving ends. As a result, caregivers can be more prone to having serious illnesses. Yet they rarely complain.”

Caregivers are true superheroes for what they do, but even superheroes can benefit from help (after all many superheroes have sidekicks or other superhero pals!)  The article offers information about help and services available to caregivers,  from information, to support groups, to resources to respite care.

Ever thought of which caregivers might be more affected by the role of caregiving? The article explains that  “[m]en, who generally have smaller networks of friends than women, are at even greater risk. “They are less likely to maintain relationships and seek help,” said Zaldy Tan, medical director of the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program. ‘They’re less prepared for the caregiving role. So they have a higher burden and burnout rate.'”

Burnout is a real thing and manifests itself in a variety of physical symptoms. The article offers that the best way to combat burnout is to have help. “Perhaps the best antidote to burnout, many experts say, is building a team, rather than handling everything yourself.” But there is a risk in assuming that the family will automatically pull together. “The best family teamwork involves meeting, talking and sharing responsibility … One team member, for example, can handle medical appointments, another might be good at preparing meals. ‘Have weekly phone calls if you’re in crisis….'”

Regardless of the planning, it’s not going to be an easy job to be a caregiver. But it is going to be an important one.