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| - | Another way for a person to cope with the stress of taking care of their parent is by attending support groups with other people that are experiencing the same situation. This is a place for the caregiver to share their frustrations and ask any questions they may have regarding services and problems they may have had with their parent’s health care, for example. People can also share resources and information about home health care, and anything related to caring for an aging parent. For caregivers that are new to caring for their parent, this is an excellent resource to seek help at, since they probably have many questions and concerns. | + | Another way for a person to cope with the stress of taking care of their parent is by attending support groups with other people that are experiencing the same situation. This is a place for the caregiver to share their frustrations and ask any questions they may have regarding services and problems they may have had with their parent’s health care, for example.<ref>http://www.caring.com/articles/guide-to-home-healthcare-after-hospital-discharge?utm_medium=email&utm_source=suggests&utm_campaign=eol&utm_content=20111002</ref> People can also share resources and information about home health care, and anything related to caring for an aging parent. For caregivers that are new to caring for their parent, this is an excellent resource to seek help at, since they probably have many questions and concerns.<ref>http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Caring-For-Aging-Parents/forum/12966325-caregivers-guide-home</ref> |
| ===Self-Help Coping Strategies=== | ===Self-Help Coping Strategies=== | ||
Revision as of 04:45, 1 November 2011
Caring for the Aging Parent
Contents |
Caregiver Burden
Definition
Caregiver burden refers to a high level of stress and fatigue that is usually experienced by people who are taking care of another person, usually a family member, who is stricken with some kind of illness[1]. When caring for a person with a chronic illness you may experience loss of intimacy or close friends, financial strain and the pressure of dealing with that person’s symptoms[1].
Gender Differences
It appears that there is a gender difference apparent when dealing with caregiver burden. A study Effects of Gender on Burden Among Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Patients[1] explains that women caregivers are subjected to a higher degree of caregiver burden than male caregivers. Some factors that affected the burden of both men and women caregivers were: mean duration of daily caregiving, total duration of caregiving, education, employment status, income and the age of the parents being cared[1]. The areas in which women experienced more burden were those of developmental, physical, social burden and also time dependence. It appears that both men and women experience the same level of emotional burden when taking care of a family member that is ill[1].
Alzheimer's Disease and Stroke
Various research has been prepared on the issue of caregiving for parents and family members that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease[2] or that have experienced a stroke[3]. The role of a caregiver for a person that is chronically ill can differ dramatically from that of a healthy older individual. It has been proven that an illness such as Alzheimer’s disease can place burdens on both the person living with the disease and their caregivers as well[4]. Negative health effects have been confirmed for the caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease[4]. The financial, psychological, social and physical pressures dealt with by caregivers negatively affect their quality of life. A study Canadian Alzheimer’s disease caregiver survey:baby-boomer caregivers and burden of care, found that more caregiver burden was experienced by live-in caregivers, those where the person being cared for lives with the caregiver, than by caregivers that do not reside with the person that they are taking care of[4].
Although little is known about the combined life satisfaction of both the caregiver and the parent being cared for, some researchers find that this is an important area of interest. A research piece investigating Combined life satisfaction of persons with stroke and their caregivers: associations with caregiver burden and the impact of stroke, found that relationships between stroke victims and their caregivers that expressed discordant life satisfaction placed themselves more at risk for negative caregiver burden[5]. It appears that the perceived level of positive rehabilitation and the successful completion of everyday tasks played a role in the life satisfaction ratings both the stroke victim and the caregiver[5]. Both the Stroke Impact Scale[6] and the Caregiver Burden Scale[7] were used to assess life satisfaction among the dyad. Information and knowledge pertaining to this issue has clinical benefits which will help to identify caregiver-stroke victim dyads who are more vulnerable to caregiver burden and discordant life satisfaction[5].
Treatment
National data indicates that older adults who show depressive symptoms receive additional hours of physical assistance from several of their family members[8]. There are several benefits to treatments which include: lowering physical disability, improved mood and better social adjustment[8]. There is a large impact felt by the caregiver who is dealing with a parent who is stricken with late-life depression. When being treated for depression with antidepressant medications, the caregiver burden is alleviated and both parties begin to feel a sense of relief. In addition to antidepressant medications, caregiver support and education can help to strengthen these positive effects[8]. The severity of a patient’s depression also plays a role in the level of caregiver burden. With the successful treatment of a parent’s chronic illness, caregiver burden is alleviated to some degree[8]. Treatment options can range from therapy groups: family and self, medication, rehabilitation services and social work[9].
Caregiver stress relief can be accomplished by measures such as implementing direct services to the caregiver, supplying food or meals to the caregiver, providing house cleaning services or making transportation and medical equipment available[9]. Such services are often available to caregivers although often times funding is not available to caregivers and they cannot afford to have such services offered[9]. Management of household chores, finances and medical services are things that caregivers are forced to deal with. A project labeled A Hospice Caregiver Support Project: Providing Support to Reduce Caregiver Stress, clearly outlines the importance of offering services to caregivers who feel they need help when dealing with their aging parent or family member[9]. The study concluded that offering such services could help to reduce the use of respite services and to reduce caregiver stress. Researchers also outline the importance of asking for help from others in time of need in order to help caregivers find the time to cope with their own issues and stress[9].
Providing Support
5 Tips for Dealing with Caregiver Burden
- 5. Put your health first[10]
- 4. Educate Yourself[10]
- 3. Get Help[10]
- 2. Learn Coping Strategies[10]
- 1. Be realistic[10]
--Ao08tp 18:06, 31 October 2011 (EDT)Audrey Ouimet
Gender Differences
Many of us will need help as we grow older. As our public services and long term care facilities are reaching maximum capacity, family support and home based care options are becoming more popular. This means that there is an increasing expectation that adult children will take on the responsibilities of caring for their aging parents [11]Support from the family is becoming crucial as our municipal services for the elderly are unable to support the growing population of older adults [12]. Past research has shown that children of aging parents are the most prominent carers, after spouses, and the amount of children who are taking on care giving responsibilities is growing [13] .
Gender Differences Between Husbands and Wives
There has been an abundance of research reporting that females provide more care for their aging parents than males do [14]. Hammer and Neal (2008) looked at the division of labour distributed amongst husbands and wives in caring for an aging parent. Researchers found that wives dedicated considerably more hours per week, on average, to providing care to a parent than their husbands, as women spent 6.8 hours per week, compared to their husbands 5.1 hours per week [15]. Suggestions for these differences include a higher proportion of men than women owning their own business, therefore men have more work responsibilities and less time to help support an aging parent. Another suggestion is that husbands work, on average, more hours per week than their wives, 49.5 hours compared to 38 hours, respectively [15]. Moreover, significantly more husbands in this study held full time jobs, than their wives, which would give wives more time to provide care to an aging parent. Additionally, women claimed to have more flexibility in their jobs than men, which can contribute to one’s availability and provide care. Researchers also found that as a result of women providing more care to an aging parent than their husbands, women also experienced high depression and absenteeism at work [15].
Gender Differences Between Siblings
There has also been a large quantity of research conducted on daughters providing home based care for their aging parents. Previous research has shown that daughters are much more likely to act as primary caregivers for an aging parent than sons [13]. Studies indicate that daughters complete more household work as well as personal care for their parents. Some studies propose that as the parent becomes older and more dependent, the son is more likely to become more withdrawn from care giving responsibilities, which leaves the daughter with the care giving duties [13]. Romoren’s 2003 study indicated that women had the highest prevalence for care, as 36% of caregivers were daughters, 9% were sisters, 8% were nieces, 7% daughters-in-law, while 9% of were spouses and only 19% were sons. More women in this study also reported living with the aging parent, and almost all sons reported working full time, whereas less than half of the daughters had full time work schedules [13]. Research has also shown that duration of care is three times higher for daughters than sons; one possible explanation provided for these findings is that culturally, parents have lower expectations when it comes to care giving for their sons than they do their daughters [13].
Why These Differences Exist
Researchers have also investigated the reasons why there are differences among siblings when it comes to caring for an aging parent. These differences include employment status; number of hours worked each week, as well as the parent-child relationship [12]. Research has shown that in terms of caring for an aging parent, good parent-child relationships are a much better motivator than feelings of obligation. Previous studies have also shown that the bulk of the responsibilities are often held by one sibling, and this can create stress and tension among family members. The sibling who provides the majority of the care may feel angry or resentful towards their less active siblings. On the other hand, the sibling that provides minimal care may experience feelings of guilt [12]. These stresses can be lowered by making actual or psychological equities. To explain, making an actual equity means trying to change the siblings behaviour by asking them to provide more help. Further, creating a psychological equity is coming up with excuses or explanations for the sibling who does not actively participate in caring for the aging parent, as well as providing rationales for the sibling who provides the most care [12]. Some explanations include relationships between family members, geographical location, other responsibilities, personality, health and socioeconomic status, as well as gender. Women usually take on the primary caregiver role, which includes routine care. Primary care gives provide regular assistance and include their care giving duties in their daily routines. Men are more commonly back up care providers or absent providers, meaning they only provide occasional, sporadic care, or none at all [12]. It has also been suggested that “sibling network composition will affect which children are likely to provide assistance to an aging parent” [16]. This idea suggests that daughters take on a more proactive role in care giving because they were socialized that way. Gender role attitudes are learned early in life and influence who will take on the responsibility of caring for an aging parent; this could explain why two thirds of care givers are women [16].
Hypotheses of Family Labour
Finley (1989) describes care giving to aging parents as a form of family labour and discusses four hypothesis of family labour, the first being time-available hypothesis. This theory asserts that the determination of time available for family care is based on our competing time and role demands. Results showed that job responsibilities reduced time available for care giving duties for men, but not for women [14]. Based on this model researchers also found that women that did not have jobs provided more care than women that had full time jobs, and that single people were more likely to provide more care than married people. The second theory is called the socialization/ideology hypothesis which states that our attitudes about gender roles are learned during socialization, and this influences the division of care. Traditionally, women have been socialized to take on the feminine role which includes kin keeping and family care responsibilities [14]. The external-resources hypothesis assumes that resources gained externally, such as education and income, determines the family dynamics. That being said, those who hold the most power in the family tend to provide the least amount of care, however women who are employed, still tend to provide the most care. Finally, the specialization of tasks hypothesis states that men and women assume different duties within the family to maximize the wellbeing of the family unit [14]. In this model, women assume the role of the care giver, but the results also suggest that men and women help their aging parents in different ways. Males more often provide financial support, whereas women are more likely to provide emotional support, as well as daily living support [14].
--Jv08ti 22:32, 31 October 2011 (EDT)
Coping Strategies
Coping with caring for an aging parent can be difficult to do, especially if it is a recent happening, or if the parent being cared for is ill. It is very important to remember that while taking care of an aging parent, it is vital that caregivers find ways to cope with the stress and frustration that may accompany caring for their parent. If caregivers neglect themselves then it will not prove beneficial in the long term with the care they will provide their parent. Studies have shown that there are certain coping strategies that are effective in managing the stress of caring for an aging parent, focusing on both mental and emotional changes, as well as using services designed to ease the strain of being a caregiver for the elderly.
Issues Concerning Caregiver Burden
Caregiver burden is a serious situation in which the person caring for their aging parent feels the stress of the responsibility associated and it often affects them on more than an emotional level. It often affects their physical health and well being. The caregivers likely do not take care of themselves when they are sick or tired, they are less likely to be physically active, and they probably do not engage in the same activities they used too. This leads to them taking more antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication to cope with the ‘burden’ of caring for their aging parent, than do average people that are not caring for an elderly parent.[17] For this reason, caregivers should take advantage of the many services offered for their aging, elderly, or disabled elderly parent.
Community Services
There are many services that cater to the needs of the elderly, whether or not they are suffering from illness. One of the services that many cities offer is a community care program. These programs offer many services to ease the strain placed on caregivers. Many of them offer home care, geriatric services, mental health services, and respite services, which is caregiver relief. Home care programs are geared towards people that require help in their day-to-day living, especially with bathing and dressing themselves, along with, for example, getting their breakfast ready. The respite services would comprise of day programs, this way the caregiver has time to do things for themselves or their families and to have a break from caring for someone, for example an aging parent. These programs are a relief to caregivers that have busy lives of their own, if they have families and careers to worry about on top of caring for their aging parent.[18] Another helpful service that the elderly, and therefore their caregivers, benefit from is Meals on Wheels. Meal delivery services are available to deliver a full day's worth of meals to a person, at specific meal times, if the person is unable to cook for themself. It is an enormous weight off of a caregiver’s shoulders when they are assured that their parent is eating regular meals.[19]
Medical Care
Another service offered to assist in the caring for the elderly is initiated by pharmacies. Often seniors need medication daily, yet are either unable to pick it up from the pharmacy on their own or cannot remember how many times a day they are supposed to take their medication. Many pharmacies have a home-delivery service available and will also package the medication specific to the number of times per day it must be taken. This is a small task, yet it can be a major inconvenience for a person caring for their aging parent to have to remind their mother or father to take their medication, sometimes numerous times per day. Help from the pharmacy in this capacity, similar to the meal delivery program, can leave the person feeling at ease that their parent is staying on top of their health, without them having to remind their parent each day.
Counseling
Another way for a person to cope with the stress of taking care of their parent is by attending support groups with other people that are experiencing the same situation. This is a place for the caregiver to share their frustrations and ask any questions they may have regarding services and problems they may have had with their parent’s health care, for example.[20] People can also share resources and information about home health care, and anything related to caring for an aging parent. For caregivers that are new to caring for their parent, this is an excellent resource to seek help at, since they probably have many questions and concerns.[21]
Self-Help Coping Strategies
A study was done examining coping strategies used by caregivers of aging parents. There were three main coping strategies identified. The first was referred to as ‘structural role redefinition’, which means to work with the people in one’s life to change the roles in order to work around the schedule of taking care of a parent. The second strategy was called ‘personal role redefinition’, which referred to a caregiver’s own values and changing the way they perceive them to fit their roles and lifestyle. The third strategy identified was called ‘reactive role behaviour’ refers to trying hard to meet role expectations. These coping strategies deal with both physical and emotional issues a person might encounter when caring for an aging parent. Caregivers can use these methods to actively participate in their well being in order to cope with the stress and conflicts associated with caring for their aging parent.
There is an abundance of services and programs offered for the elderly for caregivers to take advantage of. They range from home care and day programs to providing nutritious meals and medical needs. For the emotional needs of the caregiver there are support groups as well as self-help coping strategies that involve the mental framework of the caregiver. All of these coping strategies are very beneficial for the well-being of both the aging parent and the caregiver, and utilizing the strategies will ensure that the process of caring for an aging parent is less of a burden than it may have been once before.
Notes and References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Akpicar, B., Kucukguclu, O., Yener, G. (2011). Effects of gender on burden among caregivers of alzheimer’s patients. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Vol. 43(3), 248-256
- ↑ Alzheimer’s disease. In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 25, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer%27s_disease
- ↑ Stroke. In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 25, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Black, S. E., Gauthier, S., Dalziel, W., Keren, R., Correias, J., Huong, H. & Binder, C. (2010). Canadian alzheimer’s disease caregiver survey: baby-boomer caregivers and burden of care. International Journal of Geriatric Psychology, 25, 807-813.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Bergstrom, A. L., Eriksson, G., von Koch, L. & Tham, K. (2011). Combined life satisfaction of persons with stroke and their caregivers: associations with caregiver burden and the impact of stroke. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 9, 1-10.
- ↑ Ali, D. (2010). Stroke measures: the stroke impact scale. Rehabilitation Measures Database. Retrieved from http://www.rehabmeasures.org/Lists/RehabMeasures/DispForm.aspx?ID=934
- ↑ Moses, S. (2011). Caregiver burden scale. Family Practice Notebook. Retrieved from http://www.fpnotebook.com/Geri/Exam/CrgvrBrdnScl.htm
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Martire, L. M., Schulz, R., Reynolds, C. F., Karp, J., F., Gildengers, A. G. & Whyte, E. M. (2010). A journal, Treatment of Late-Life Depression Alleviates Caregiver Burden has proven that late-life depression can be treated with antidepressant medications<ref>Martire, L. M., Schulz, R., Reynolds, C. F., Karp, J., F., Gildengers, A. G. & Whyte, E. M. (2010). Treatment of late-life depression alleviates caregiver burden. The American Geriatrics Society, 58, 23-29. </li> <li id="_note-empen">↑ <sup>[[#_ref-empen_0|9.0]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-empen_1|9.1]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-empen_2|9.2]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-empen_3|9.3]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-empen_4|9.4]]</sup> Empen, J., Raming, N. T. J., Irwin, S. A., Nelesen, R. A. & Lloyd, L. S. (2010).The hospice caregiver support project: providing support to reduce caregiver stress. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 14(5), 593-599. </li> <li id="_note-scheve">↑ <sup>[[#_ref-scheve_0|10.0]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-scheve_1|10.1]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-scheve_2|10.2]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-scheve_3|10.3]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-scheve_4|10.4]]</sup> Scheve, T. (2009). 5 Tips for dealing with caregiver burden. How Stuff Works. Retrieved from http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/aging/elder-care/5-tips-for-dealing-with-caregiver-burden.htm</li> <li id="_note-4">[[#_ref-4|↑]] Leinonen, A. (2011). Adult children and parental care-giving: making sense of participation patterns among siblings. Aging and Society, 31, 308-327. </li> <li id="_note-Leinonen">[[#_ref-Leinonen_4|↑]] <strong class="error">Cite error 8; No text given.</strong></li> <li id="_note-Romoren">↑ <sup>[[#_ref-Romoren_0|13.0]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Romoren_1|13.1]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Romoren_2|13.2]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Romoren_3|13.3]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Romoren_4|13.4]]</sup> Romoren, T. (2003). The carer careers of son and daughter primary carers of their very old parents in Norway. Aging and Society, 23, 471-485.</li> <li id="_note-Finley">↑ <sup>[[#_ref-Finley_0|14.0]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Finley_1|14.1]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Finley_2|14.2]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Finley_3|14.3]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Finley_4|14.4]]</sup> Finley, N. (1989). Theories of family labour as applied to gender differences in caregiving for elderly parents. Journal of Family and Marriage, 51(1), 79-86.</li> <li id="_note-Hammer">↑ <sup>[[#_ref-Hammer_0|15.0]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Hammer_1|15.1]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Hammer_2|15.2]]</sup> Hammer, L., Neal, M. (2008). Working sandwiched- generation caregivers: prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 11, 93-112.</li> <li id="_note-Coward">↑ <sup>[[#_ref-Coward_0|16.0]]</sup> <sup>[[#_ref-Coward_1|16.1]]</sup> Coward, R., Dwyer, J. (1990). The association of gender, sibling network composition, and patterns of parent care by adult children. Research on Aging, 12(2), 158-181.</li> <li id="_note-5">[[#_ref-5|↑]] Martire, L. M., Keefe, F. J., Schulz, R., et al. (2006). Older spouses' perceptions of partners' chronic arthritis pain: Implications for spousal responses, support provision, and caregiving experiences. ''Psychology and Aging, 21'', 222-230.</li> <li id="_note-6">[[#_ref-6|↑]] http://www.communitycaredurham.on.ca/about.html</li> <li id="_note-7">[[#_ref-7|↑]] http://www.mealcall.org/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi</li> <li id="_note-8">[[#_ref-8|↑]] http://www.caring.com/articles/guide-to-home-healthcare-after-hospital-discharge?utm_medium=email&utm_source=suggests&utm_campaign=eol&utm_content=20111002</li> <li id="_note-9">[[#_ref-9|↑]] http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Caring-For-Aging-Parents/forum/12966325-caregivers-guide-home</li></ol></ref>
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