Introduction
If you provide assistance to a chronically ill, disabled, or elderly family member or close friend, you are a caregiver; one of the 22 million Americans who care for an older adult. Caregivers provide 80 percent of in-home care, yet unlike professional nurses and home health aids, they are unpaid for their labor of love. They are the daughter who moves back home to care for her ailing father, the niece who cooks dinner every evening for her disabled aunt, and the brother who helps his elderly sibling with daily living skills.
Caregivers provide a wide array of services that range from simple household chores to round-the-clock care. They may live in the same household, in a neighborhood nearby, or in another state. The caregiving role may be short-term, but most will spend eight years or longer providing care to those who cannot care for themselves without assistance.
A Tough Job
Caregiving is a tough job that takes an emotional, financial, and physical toll on caregivers. Spending less time with their own children, and giving up vacations, hobbies, and other personally rewarding activities are common for caregivers who work long hours in this demanding role. Caregiving tasks, such as driving a parent to a medical appointment, interfere with work schedules. Employed caregivers often reduce their work hours or quit their jobs. Many pay out-of-pocket for medical products and services. Although caregivers have the satisfaction of knowing that their relative or friend is well cared for, many describe the job as stressful, burdensome, and overwhelming.
Surveys show that caregiver stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation are prevalent. More than 60 percent of family caregivers who provide at least 21 hours of care a week suffer from depression. Besides experiencing emotional anguish, caregivers are also at an increased risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Caregivers have been described as the “hidden patient” because they often have untreated health problems of their own.
Whether you have cared for a loved one for years or are new to the caregiver role, you don’t have to handle the burden alone. Every community has resources, such as support groups, caregiver classes, home-delivered meals, adult day care, and social services agencies that can help.
Social Workers Can Help
Social workers are a valuable resource to help you identify the services that you need and to connect you with community organizations. Human services agencies that cater to older adults employ social workers who help to coordinate care, arrange for in-home services, help with locating sources for medications, offer counseling, and provide numerous other services. These organizations are listed under “Human Services” in your local phone book. The Administration on Aging’s Elder Care Locator can connect caregivers with the National Aging Services Network at 800-677-1116.
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