Caregiver Stress - The Potential Impact of Caregiving on the Caregiver
Caregiver Stress is the emotional strain of caregiving for a loved one, or attending to the needs of a child or dependent adult. Caregiving can have a major impact on the caregiver's own health. Caregivers become so concerned about caring for their loved ones, that they may lose sight of their own health needs and overall well being.
Caregivers often report that it is difficult to look after their own health in terms of exercise, nutrition, and doctor's visits, while juggling caregiving with full-time jobs and parenting.
Additionally, Caregivers are more likely to suffer from depression than their peers and be more likely to have other health problems like diabetes and heart disease than non-caregivers.
As a result of the many demands, caregivers often end up becoming overwhelmed, and feeling irritable, angry, anxious, isolated and suffer from Caregiver Stress.
Photo Source: Steve Woods. Demands. Royalty Free Use.
A Quote on Caregivers and Caregiver Stress
Thoughts on Caregiving from a Caregiver
- Being a caregiver is the most thankless role in the world.
Everybody gives the patient some slack, as they should,
but the caregiver has the stress of life
and then you put a catastrophic illness on top of it
...the stress goes through the roof.
Marcia Wallace
What is Caregiver Stress?
Identifying the Emotional Strain of Caregiving
Caregiver stress is the emotional strain of caregiving. Studies show that caregiving takes a toll on physical and emotional health.
Caregivers are more likely to suffer from depression than their peers. Limited research suggests that caregivers may also be more likely to have health problems like diabetes and heart disease than non-caregivers.
Source: National Women's Health Information Center. Caregiver Stress. WomensHealth.gov January 2006.
YouTube Video on Caregivers from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Featuring Dana Reeve
The first thing you have to do is accept that this is your life. This is your life.
This is the new normal, like it or not.
You need to find balance in your life.
You need to be in it for the long haul.
Dana Reeve
Reduce Caregiver Stress - Acknowledge All That You Do an Will Continue To Do
National Organization For Empowering Caregivers
You are an unsung hero and it is important
that you accept the beauty of who you are in this moment.
...look into the mirror into your eyes
and honor "yourself" for all you have been doing and will continue to do.
National Organization For Empowering Caregivers
How To Identify Caregiver Stress
Symptoms to Watch
Source: National Women's Health Information Center. Caregiver Stress. WomensHealth.gov January 2006.the time.
- Sleeping problems - sleeping too much or too little.
- Change in eating habits - resulting in weight gain or loss.
- Feeling tired or without energy most of the time.
- Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy such as going out with friends, walking, or reading.
- Easily irritated, angered, or saddened.
- Frequent headaches, stomach aches, or other physical problems.
More Resources on Caregiver Stress
Information for Caregivers on Caregiver Stress
- AMA (Public Health) Caregiver self-assessment tool
- A Caregiver self assessment questionnaire available in English and in Spanish to help caregivers determine how they are coping with the additional challenges of being a caregiver.
- Caregiver Stress -- familydoctor.org
- Information about caregiver stress from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
- Caregiver Stress
- Information on and resources for coping with Caregiver Stress from the National Women's Health Information Center at WomensHealth.gov.
- Caringinfo - Caring for Someone
- A variety of helpful information from Caringinfo. Including "Acknowledging You Need Assistance" and "Respite - Taking a Break."
- FamilyCaregiving101.org
- FamilyCaregiving101.org: If you're caring for another person who is ill or disabled, this site was created for you. It's a great place to find assistance, answers, new ideas and helpful advice -- for you and your loved one.
- Caring for caregivers
- From Monitor on Psychology Volume 37, No. 10 November 2006 an online version of the Caring for Caregivers article.
- Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers
- An article from the Family Caregiver Alliance on the importance of "Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers."
Video on YouTube on Caring for the Caregivers
Featuring Sandra Martin
Preventing or Relieving Caregiver Stress
Ways of Taking Care of Yourself
Take the following steps listed below and begin making your health a priority.
Source: National Women's Health Information Center. Caregiver Stress. WomensHealth.gov January 2006.
- Take one day at a time.
- Find time for exercise most days of the week.
- Prioritize, make lists and establish a daily routine.
- Try to get enough sleep and rest.
- Find out about community caregiving and caregiver resources.
- Ask for and accept help.
- Stay in touch with friends and family. Social activities can help you feel connected and may reduce stress.
- Look to faith-based groups for support and help.
- Join a support group for caregivers in your situation (like caring for a person with dementia, Parkinson's Disease or Spinal Cord Injuries).
Many support groups can be found in the community or on the Internet. - Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in saturated fat.
- See your doctor for a checkup. Talk to her about symptoms of depression or sickness you may be having.
- Ask your doctor about taking a multivitamin.
CarePages - An Easy Way to Connect Caregivers and their Families
Connect - Care - Share
CarePages can be a very helpful way for Caregivers to stay in touch and keep their families updated when a loved one is being cared for.Utilizing this type of freely-available service is a way of helping to reduce caregiver stress.
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CarePages - Connect Friends and Family During Times of Challenge
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CarePages unique service allows you to create a personal, private web page to help family and friends communicate when a loved one is facing illness whether at the beginning of life as a newborn, at the end of life, or somewhere in between. Creating...
Lots of Helping Hands
A Way to Organize the Offers of Support
Lotsa Helping Hands was created after witnessing four years of awe-inspiring community support and response to a family member's serious medical crisis.
Seeing how earnestly friends wanted to help, and juggling the difficulty of organizing their assistance, the founders designed Lotsa Helping Hands with the understanding of how to bring together a variety of social circles and what a resulting community like this would need.
When designing their online organization system, they paid special attention to making the web service intuitive enough to begin using immediately.
There is no charge for this service to the users of any Lotsa Helping Hands web site.
Lotsa Helping Hands
Helping to Organize the Helping Hands
- Lotsa Helping Hands
- This is the home page for Lotsa Helping Hands.
Squidoo Lenses on Resources for Helping Care for the Caregivers
Tips for Managing Caregiver Stress
A selection of other lensmaster's lenses with various coping strategies for managing issues and stressors faced by caregivers.-
Who Cares???
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According to the National Alliance for Caregiving website, "It is estimated that 80 percent of all care received by older Americans is provided by family members - spouses, children, grandchildren and other relatives - people like you." If t...
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PD: A Primary Caregiver's Perspective of a Dreadful, Debilitating, Devastating Disease
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As the primary caregiver of someone who suffered with Parkinson's Disease (PD), I wanted to develop this Lens to hopefully help someone else going through the same experience. My husband Charlie (pictured at left before PD) died November 26, 200...
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Long Term Care For People You Love
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More than 9 million people over the age of 65 will need long-term-care this year. Here you'll learn all you need to know to plan for your family's LTC needs -- everything from needs assessment, options, implementation and everything in-between. This...
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When the Tables Turn - Caring for Your Aging Parents
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Parents are seen through most of your life as the caregivers, but there comes a time when that role reverses and you find yourself in the caregiving role. You’ll be met with both physical and emotional demands. Most people don’t like to t...
Recommended Books about Caregivers and Caregiving
Available on Amazon
May I Walk You Home?: Courage and Comfort for Caregivers of the Very Ill
Amazon Price: (as of 12/01/2009) 
The Fearless Caregiver: How to Get the Best Care for Your Loved One and Still Have a Life of Your Own (Capital Cares)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/01/2009)
Share The Care: How to Organize a Group to Care for Someone Who Is Seriously Ill, (Revised and Updated)
Amazon Price: $10.80 (as of 12/01/2009)
Chicken Soup for the Caregiver's Soul: Stories to Inspire Caregivers in the Home, the Community and the World (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/01/2009)
American Medical Association Guide to Home Caregiving
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/01/2009)
Reader Feedback on the Caregiver Stress Lens
Your place for comments, messages, suggestions, ideas and feedback
Are You a Caregiver, or been impacted by Caregiver Stress?
Do you have any other good ways of managing Caregiver stress?
Be sure to leave your tips, comments, rank the site, pass on the word about the site (email) and leave a message (Reader Feedback).
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Reply
- homecarediva homecarediva May 8, 2009 @ 6:05 am
- I care for my 82-years old grandfather which has Alzheimer's. Caregiving is really stressful job. Very nice and helpful lens.
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Reply
- TribalDancer TribalDancer Oct 21, 2008 @ 9:49 am
- Nice work. When I have time I'll link this to my caregiver lenses.
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Reply
- freelance100 freelance100 Sep 20, 2008 @ 12:55 am
- I am so glad that you are here!
My lens was created today and wonder if you would visit it and give your opinion. http://ww.squidoo.com/spousalcaregiver
I have a website also at http://spousalcaregiver.com and a blog about politics just to get the heck out of dodge (mentally) and focus on other things.
I agree with all you posted here. Even though it is very hard to be a spousal caregiver, when the aging parents join the party and we are still caring for kids in elementary school.... well, somedays, I think my head will explode.
Thank you for spreading the word.
PEACE
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Reply
- the-secret the-secret Mar 24, 2008 @ 8:52 am
- My grandmother will soon be celebrating her 100th birthday. She lives in a very nice nursing home in the same town as my mom, who will soon be 82. My mom teases that not much has changed over the years, she still doesn't want to go live with her mom. :)
Caregiver Carrie
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Reply
- giddygabby giddygabby Mar 18, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
- Your lenses captivate me whenever I stumble across them, Comfort. This is an important subject and one that more and more folks are dealing with, as the Boomer gen begins to age. Welcome to Boomers Rock!
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by Comfortdoc
Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief and bereavement, professional health educator, professor...
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