For many people living with lung disease, things aren't as easy as they used to be. It's not just dealing with medications and treatments, but everyday activities can leave you short of breath and exhausted. Often times, friends and family step in to help out. These people, who provide unpaid assistance to a person with chronic or disabling illness, are called caregivers.
Thanks to an aging population and the structure of the American health care system, the need for caregivers is greater than ever and rising quickly. So who fills the caregiver role, and what challenges do they face? The average caregiver is 49 years old, related to the patient (generally a spouse or child), and more likely to be female (although men are moving into caregiver roles more asnd more). It is common to find a family member providing care for more than five years, and most spend between 20 and 40 hours a week doing so. A majority will spend their own money to look after a loved one, with approximately 10% of the caregiver's income going to the needs of the patient.
More than 80% of people taking care of a loved one have no education on how to do so- and report feeling unprepared for the tasks they find themselves asked to perform. Besides access to information, caregivers most report needing emotional and physical stress management, support services, and time to themselves.
The best thing that a caregiver can do for the patient is to take care of themselves. A majority of caregivers find that they do not have time to attend to their own health needs, and are generally less healthy and have higher rates of depression that in the previous year. In fact, rates of depression among caregivers can be higher than among care recipients. As the health of a caregiver improves, they may find that the person they are taking care of feels better as well.
So, Caregivers: the best way to take care of a loved one is to take care of yourself first. Make time for your own needs so that you and your loved one can be happier and healthier.
Read more:
Caregivers Article from American Family Physician
The role of caregiver is very important and caregiver often is a life line for for any patients with chronic disease. The caregivers -whether a family or friend member -is entrusted with knowing when and how to support the patient. He or She must know about various therapies and conditions and also be ready to assume the role of patient advocate should the patient become unable to care for himself or herself.
ReplyDelete