Caregiver Burnout

With the advancements in healthcare and people living longer lives America is facing a caregiver crisis, due to the growth of the aging population. Statistics show that the number of people 65 years and older is expected to rise 101% between 2000 and 2030, yet the number of family members who can provide care for these older adults is only expected to rise 25% (Gupta, 2015). This significant change in the population raises many questions, who will care for this group, how will their safety be ensured, how will the elderly travel, where will they live, will building structures need to change to allow easier access, will the government create a caregiver corps to check on the elderly who are isolated, and ultimately how does the government

In the U.S, one in four will be aged 60 years and older by 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau). This represents an overwhelming number of people who will either be in the caretaker role or be the ROC. Like today, most of the care will be provided by informal unpaid caregivers. The number of informal unpaid caregivers is expected to rise from 20 million in 2000 to 37 million in 2050 (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation [ASPE], 2003). Because of the burden of care giving, many caregivers will experience depression, poor health and quality of life (Etters, Goodall, & Harrison, 2008). Their well-being is an important public health concern.

There are many community services out there to aid dementia patients these may include community nursing, meals on wheels, homecare, home modification, Alzheimer’s Australia, commonwealth centerlink centres, carers association, counselling, ACAT and respite care.

It can be very difficult caring for a patient with dementia. Most caregivers are unaware

Caregivers play a crucial role in the care of dementia patients. Providing care for dementia patients results in stress related health impacts to the caregiver. The caregivers go through a journey with the dementia patient and need a strong support system. The best approach to dementia care is for health care providers to provide information to and monitor the caregiver, in addition to the dementia patient, encourage the caregiver to take care of themselves, to seek support, and to work as a team to provide the best care for the dementia patient.

If you’re a caregiver you know that some days are better than others, but when you’re caring for a person who suffers from Alzheimer’s it can feel like things change from minute to minute. The professionals at Senior Care Transition Services provide free resources and senior living advice to people in the Dayton, OH, area who are looking for in home care providers, medical services, senior services, and assisted living communities. They know how trying caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be and they have 3 valuable tips for all of the dedicated caregivers out there:

The main motives include providing more knowledge and understanding of dementia and also its effect on behaviour as well as it progression rate. Provide carers with an impressive understanding of available local support services and how they can be accessed. It also aims at assisting in surpassing the shock relating to an initial diagnosis of dementia as well as ways to maximize life and well-being.

I did my undergraduate internship with the Alzheimer’s Association, along with caring for my husband’s grandmother who was diagnosed with Stage II Alzheimer’s. First, Alzheimer’s gradually steals the individual’s memories, making it very difficult for the family and caregivers. Many patients with Alzheimer’s have a change in personality as the disease progresses. Once a happy go lucky father, can often become an angry, violent father. I participated/hosted several caregiver support groups and the caregivers

On February 7, 2011 I attended the Alzheimer’s support group held at St. Roberts Adult Daycare Center in St. Charles, Missouri. Tina Joyner facilitated this group of nine caregivers and three students. There were two groups conducted simultaneously; one for the caregivers, the other for the individual who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The

There are websites where research can be done to find dementia groups in your community and daily activities to do with your loved one. There's a lot you can do to help someone you care about with Alzheimer's enjoy their day-to-day activities. Even though people with the disease can get frustrated or confused easily, try to make things easier by leaving notes

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes”(AFA 1). Millions of adults of the age 65 and older have been diagnosed with this serve diseases . Based on their condition they should be placed in a nursing home , because they're going to get the treatment they need . It also prevents the patients from hurting themselves and other members of the family. Nursing homes can benefit the patients in many ways and help, them accept their condition. Patients are able to interact with people with their same condition or have a different illness. They also provide counseling for the family members of the alzheimer's patients where they give them the support they need , and they’re able to learn more about the illness of their loved ones .

In the pamphlet Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease, the Alzheimer’s Association adds late onset, traditionally known simply as Alzheimer’s, targets primarily people 65 and older. The disease follows a series of steps from mild decline with little noticed changes to very severe cognitive decline where the final stage of the disease is in progress (Basic 19-21). Throughout the stages, independence becomes lost and family members will become care takers and in the later stages nursing homes or hospice may be needed. One book encourages the care giver to communicate through body language, tone, and written instructions to help alleviate as much stress as possible for those living with Alzheimer’s (Living 47). The book further adds when caring for a person with Alzheimer’s remember to maintain patience and to show respect .

After Alzheimer's is diagnosed in a parent, or other elderly family member, the caregiver has the task of deciding what the best form of care for the patient is. In order to do this they have to fully understand what the disease is, and

The older adult population in the United States has steadily increased thanks to technology and medical advances. While this definitely is an undeniable achievement, it also creates some challenges that society was not as prevalent to face before. Now that people are living longer it’s also means that often times family members are becoming caregivers to their loved ones during their so called golden years. Not only may it be difficult to care for a loved one, but it also becomes even more burdensome when their loved has a disability. In fact “dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide.” (2016). Fortunately there are adult day centers that serve people with dementia and provide services that can benefit them. However many times caregivers are forgotten about and aren’t provided services that can also benefit them as well. While it does take a bit of pressure off of the caregivers while their loved ones are at the day center, it does not eliminate all the other effects. Many people may not be aware that there are detrimental effects that a caregiver may experience as a result of caring for someone with dementia.

Many of the comments are from those in the nursing profession, it was interesting to read them as I can see this is a demanding profession and one that, as we said in class Monday, it is a vocation and people generally go into it because they are compassionate, caring people who want to help others. I am not in the nursing profession but my mother is a carer so I would often hear about the stress of the job, as my mother works with elderly patients she often deals with grief and burnout from the stresses of caring for the sick and elderly. After listening to Dr Kristin Neff what struck me was her explanation of self-compassion and self-esteem, as someone who suffers from low self-esteem I