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Female Caregivers Research Paper

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Women as caregivers Care is defined as the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something. Furthermore, caregiving is defined as a family member or paid helper who regularly looks after a child or a sick, elderly, or disabled person. The duties of a caregiver are to assist loved one with their basic needs such as bathing, grooming and toileting, preparation of food, grocery shopping or preparing housekeeping, transferring from bed to chair, taking them to their doctor appointments/activities and most importantly providing companionship. A 2011 study by MetLife found that 23% of non-working and 20%of working female caregivers are providing financial assistance to parents …show more content…

Absenteeism among women caregivers due to caregiving responsibilities costs businesses almost $270 million. One in five female caregivers age 18 to 39 said that stress has nearly always presented in their lives; nearly twice as many as those who were not caregivers and for male caregivers. Many people are thrilled and happy to care for their love ones. The problem is that often time only one family member is left with the responsibility of caring for the elderly person making it very strenuous and difficult to render care resulting in caregiver strain. Additionally, a 1999 study indicated that as compared to non-caregivers, women caregivers were twice as likely not to fill a prescription because of the cost. Elderly women caring for a loved one who has dementia may be particularly susceptible to the negative health effects of caregiving because they receive significantly less help from family members for their own disabilities. Lower-income caregivers are half as likely as higher-income caregivers to have paid home health care or assistance available to provide support for and relief from their caregiving …show more content…

As a result of the above factors, the health and well-being of family caregivers – and the subsequent ability to assist their care recipients – is a public and mental health priority. The decline of family caregiver health is one of the major risk factors for institutionalization of a care recipient feelings come up when you are caring for someone day in and day out. Caregivers are often reluctant to express these negative feelings for fear they will be judged by others or don't want to burden others with their problems. Evidence indicates that cognitive-behavioral interventions to help family caregivers benefit their family members as well as caregivers experience decreases in depression in response to treatment, so do their care recipients (Berry, Elliott, Grant, Edwards & Fine, 2012). In addition, two reports from the Institute of Medicine, The Mental Health and Substance Use Workforce for Older Adults: In Whose Hands (2012) and Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce (2010), encouraged professionals and direct service workers to prepare family caregivers for their role, and to consider family caregivers as members of the health-care

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