Aging Caregivers

Therefore as the elderly continue to adapt to their changing environment, they can maintain both the social and behavioral circumstances that they may face. The Labeling Theory deals with the interaction between the elderly in their social circle and how they are perceived versus the interaction of others and how they perceive the elderly (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011). As a nursing caregiver, there are discrepancies with both theories, with the concept of continuity with the aging adult, both biological and environmental factors can cause changes in the behavior of the elderly. Factors such as medication, diseases such as Alzheimers, strokes, and the stress of leaving their familiar home to move in with a loved one can cause changes in their life which are different from what they have always maintained throughout their earlier years. Although the elderly do adapt to change, some changes in their life can cause their behavior to change such as the death of a loved one, losing their independence, or suffering a devastating disease. Therefore, as a caregiver, we need to be both aware and sensitive to the needs

Researchers have identified several types of caregiver burden with somewhat inconsistent results (Knight et al., 2000). The inconsistencies are due to differences in the factor analysis procedures and the labels used to describe the latent factors. In addition, the last item of the ZBI, a summative question, was often not included in the analyses because of its large correlations with many items (Knight et al.; Lai, 2007). Four studies, three of which used the 12-item ZBI (Bedard et al., 2001; O’Rourke et al., 2003; Hebert et al., 2000) and one of which used the full version (Whitlatch et al., 1991), found two latent factors: personal strain and role strain. Personal strain has been defined as “how personally stressful the experience is” and role strain has been defined as “stress due

The goals of this case study are to gather empirical evidence through comprehensive research to make an observable difference in the spouses caring for their loved ones with dementia. The problem spouses are facing while providing care for a loved one stricken with dementia can be overwhelming. First we assessed the quality of life in spouses caring for loved one with dementia. Second we wanted to provide concrete tools for the spouses who are the caregivers for loved ones with dementia. Thirdly we wanted to educate and instruct on improving quality of life for the spouses.

Providing care for a person with dementia is like being on a roller coaster ride that never ends and the ride can make the caregiver sick. In order to discuss dementia caregiving, a definition of dementia and the impacts of dementia are needed. Dementia is the generic term used by health care professionals to describe a person’s symptoms of memory and judgment issues (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015b) and furthermore is a growing problem in the United States of America (USA) and around the world. Currently 5.3 million people in the USA have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, and dementia numbers are expected to increase by 40% in the next decade (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015a). Dementia care is

In the book, Surviving Alzheimer’s: Practical tips and soul-saving wisdom for caregivers, the writer, Paula Spencer Scott, gives insightful advice in regards to caring for someone that suffers from the unfortunate neurological disorder, Alzheimer’s. Scott does not hesitate to share multiple ideas, experiences about trying these ideas, and even included professional advice from geriatric specialist

In order to address the study objectives, Wolff and colleagues (2015) developed multiple outcomes to characterize informal caregivers. To evaluate the health and wellbeing of caregivers, the primary outcomes were self-reported financial, emotional, and physical difficulties that were related to caregiving activities. Additional indicators of health and wellbeing among caregivers that were utilized as primary outcomes

Ultimately the goal of this research is to evaluate what interventions work to help caregivers of dementia patients cope with the daily issues of caring for a loved one. Both of these articles yielded enough evidence about several alternative interventions. It is of utmost importance to choose the appropriate design for research study. If an inappropriate model is used all questions related to the research may not be answered.

Providing care for a family member can cause a tremendous strain for the primary caregiver in many areas of his/her life including financial, physical, and psychological which often results in both increased emotional needs and physical complications for the caregiver (Eun-Jeong Lee, DeDios, Fong, Simonette & Lee, 2013). As disabled older adults live longer lives, there is now an increasing need to rely on others to assist them with their day-to-day activities and activities of daily living (ADL), and that role often falls upon the spouses of the impaired or close family members (Barbosa, Figueirdo, Sousa & Demain, 2010). Research data provided by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) estimated that there were approximately 44 million caregivers age 18 and over, with one third of those caregivers being male, whom were providing care to adults age 50 and above (National Alliance for Caregiving, 2015). These

Alzheimer’s and dementia are often thought of as an old age disease. Although the most commons risk factor is age but it is not the only one. Most majority of individuals do develop symptoms as elderly, but individuals that develop onset symptoms at a younger age, below 65 are said to develop early onset dementia (Lambert, M. A., Bickel, H., Prince, M., Fratiglioni, L., Von Strauss, E., Frydecka, D., & ... Reynish, E. L., 2014). Many researchers have conducted studies on the impact of cognitive disorders, such as dementia along with Alzhiemer’s, on the affects of the nonprofessional caregiver. Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t just affect the person but the affected person’s family and friends are affected as well.

Many studies have taken place over the last twenty years, which have brought to light the negative consequences caring for people with dementiaPwD has on the wellbeing of carers’, most notably . A study by Schultz, et al., (1995) noted that the most frequent clinical conditions examined are depression and anxiety .; O other symptoms may include sleep deprivation, negative changes in immune function and hypertension. In a review of 37 publications, which evaluated differences between caregivers and non-caregivers health and cognition, Fonareva et al (2014: 725-726) suggest report that familial carers, in particular, suffer from chronic stress, exacerbated by ‘excessive time constraints, increased chores, and behavioural management issues of the PwD, together with anticipatory grieving’; ‘often

Caregivers who report caring for a loved one in an at-home environment tend to show more symptoms of depression, and fall into a poorer state of physical and mental health. Depending on the relationship status of the caregiver and the elder with dementia, fewer symptoms of depression may result than expected due to reduction of guilt, resentment, or burden towards the situation. In addition, experiencing pleasant activities on a daily basis boosts the caregiver's and the patient's mood, causing more satisfaction at the end of the day. Implementing a daily routine filled with physical activities, activities promoting cognitive functioning, and other mood-boosting activities guide the individual to engage with his or her community. Although these tasks may become harder to complete in later stages of dementia, it is crucial for maintenance of cognitive functioning along with higher levels of happiness.

The results of this study showed that changes in Alzheimer’s patients’ psychiatric and behavioral problems and low levels in health-related quality of life over 6 months affected caregivers’ burdens and their depressive symptoms over 6 months. However, Alzheimer’s patients’ changes in cognitive function and functional skills were weakly associated with caregivers’ perceived burdens. Being a spouse of an Alzheimer’s patient was another reasons that caregivers could have high perceived

One of the advantages by placing a parent with Alzheimer’s in a care facility, aside from the fact they are very experienced, is the family can still be very involved in the care of their loved one. Mannion (2008) explained that many of the times family help assist in the care of their parent in the early stages of the disease and will continue to care for them while their parent is in a care facility, which averages approximately nine hours a week. Children tend to feel the need to provide care for their parent with Alzheimer’s, but can have negative side effects. One may feel cut off from social activities and may become depressed, anxious or develop anger from caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Every loving, caring child needs to take a break from time to time when caring for their loved one, and respite care (temporary caregiver) is a wonderful way to achieve the needed time away (p.28). Caregiving, regardless of whether it’s the parent’s child or in a care facility, can be very difficult physically on an individual, especially in the late stages when they need a great deal of assistance in bathing, dressing, and moving from one place to another. Whoever the caregiver is, there are many services the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America can help with, such as finding support groups as well as social workers available for counseling to help caregivers caring for those with Alzheimer’s. Being a caregiver is a tremendous responsibility for an individual. Mannion stated “the wellbeing of a person with Alzheimer’s depends directly on the wellbeing of the person who is providing their care”

In this cross-sectional study, Oken, Fonareva, and Wahbeh try to figure out whether the stress of taking care of dementia patients can produce cognitive dysfunction. This study adopted a quantitative method to assess the relationship between cognitive function and dementia caregiving.

According to the American Optometric Association, when "you reach your 60s and beyond, you need to be aware of the warning signs of age-related eye health problems that could cause vision loss. Many eye diseases have no early symptoms. They may develop painlessly, and you may not notice the changes to your vision until the condition is quite advanced."