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Celebrating 32 Years of Delivering Excellence and Changing
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Celebrating 32 Years of Delivering Excellence and Changing
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THE CAREGIVER |
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The Hidden Cost of Caregiving
Don\'t Wait for a Crisis to Act
Affiliations:
Employee Assistance Professional Association
Society for Human
Resource Management
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These are some of the common questions, that we hear from elder caregivers, as they struggle to come to terms with their caregiving responsibilities.
The Cost of Caregiving
A University of Michigan study predicts that caring for older Americans with
dementia, costs more than $18 billion a year, in additional time spent by
family and friends. This help includes assistance with basic daily
activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, and fixing meals, and with
less frequent activities including grocery shopping and managing money. "We found that the care-giving burden on family members increased
substantially as cognitive impairment worsened," says Kenneth M. Langa,
M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study. "Those with mild dementia received
8.5 more hours of care per week than elders with normal cognitive function,
who received only 4.6 hours of help per week. And those with severe dementia
received 41.5 more hours of help per week than elders with normal
cognition." A second University of Michigan study that was conducted in 2004,
revealed that depression among senior citizens carries a huge
unrecognized cost: many extra hours of unpaid help with everyday activities,
delivered by the depressed seniors, spouses, adult children and friends. Source: University of Michigan Health System A 2010 MetLife study, reported that the average working caregiver is subject to a loss of more than $659,000 over their lifetime, as a result of their caregiving responsibilities:
Other affects experienced include: Caregiving often involves one or more persons (family, friends or paid professionals), who provide assistance to the elder in one or more of the following areas:
Taking care of an elderly loved one is a real challenge, which currently involves 1 out of every 4 U.S. households. This number is expected to double by the year 2011, when 5 million baby boomers turn 65. The US Department of Labor estimates that 30% of the work force is currently involved in caring for an aging parent or relative. These working caregivers are paying a heavy price as they struggle to balance their personal and work responsibilities. By 2010, it is expected that this caregiver workforce figure will jump to 54%. Time Spent on Caregiving It is important to keep in mind that as human beings, we are all different, and as such we each have our own unique set of experiences. Research and experience however has shown that there are some similar themes and patterns experienced by the majority of caregivers. In order to create a working framework from which to discuss the spectrum of elder caregiving, we will outline seven stages of caregiving. It is important to note that this is a conceptual model, and based on the individual situation, not all caregivers will experience all seven stages. Stage One - Basic Caregiving The first stage, occurs when a loved one becomes concerned, that an elder is having difficulty performing what was once routine activities. At this stage a loved one begins to feel that they are "helping out", as they offer assistance in areas such as banking, bill paying, shopping, or transportation. Stage Two - Self Identification as a Caregiver This stage begins when the loved one sees that their helping out, has shifted to a self-identified "responsibility", which is now necessary for the elder\'s day to day functioning. Stage Three - Providing Personal Care This stage is marked, when a loved one begins to provide assistance for the elder, in the area of personal hygiene. Depending on the level of care needed, and the relationship between the elder and the caregiver, this may create an uncomfortable situation. It is often at this point that the caregiver begins to explore other options, such as hiring a professional to provide care in the home, or alternative housing such as assisted living. It is important to note that caregiving is a demanding responsibility, and if the loved one continues to provide all care without outside assistance, the end result may be stress, physical illness, or exhaustion. All too often a loved one, believes it is their obligation to provide the care themselves, and might feel too guilty or embarrassed to seek outside help. It may be helpful to look at this from another perspective - we have a responsibility to see that our elder loved ones receive the care they need, but that doesn\'t mean that we must provide the care ourselves. Stage Four - Seeking assistance This stage begins when the loved one actively seeks out assistance may come in the form of support services (e.g. respite care, education programs, in-home services, alternative housing). One of the advantages of contracting with professional providers, is that it frees up some of the loved one\'s time and energy, thus allowing them to focus on quality time with the elder. Stage Five - Exploring Placement in a Facility The loved one usually reaches this stage, when they realize that the elder is in need of more services, than can be provided within the home. At this stage the loved one begins to explore alternative living arrangements. All too often, loved ones wait until there is a crisis before they look at alternative housing, often with the end result being that they feel guilty about "forcing" the elder into a facility. Stage Six- Institutionalization The sixth stage, involves placement of the elder in some form of care facility (e.g. nursing home, hospice). Once an elder is living in an appropriate facility; the loved one can now offer their assistance as an advocate or care manager, ensuring that the elder is receiving needed services. Stage Seven - The Passing of the Elder The final stage of caregiving occurs when the elder passes away. This begins a period of mourning and healing for the loved ones. It is important to mention, that all too often at this stage, loved ones begin to second guess themselves saying: "I wonder if I made the right choice." "If only I had done..., they may still be alive." "Maybe I should have done ..." Be careful not to do this to yourself! It is important to seek out professional assistance and support for yourself, while the elder is still alive, to take a pro-active approach to ensure that you and the elder are receiving the care that you need and desire. All too often, we receive a frantic call from an individual who is in the midst of a crisis situation, following an elder being involved in an accident, or experiencing a sudden illness. These individuals feel unprepared to respond to the situation, because they often lack basic knowledge regarding the elder\'s medical history, medications, insurance coverage, financial matters, or what the elder\'s wishes would be in the given situation. In addition, they don\'t understand what the issues are, where to turn for help, or what kinds of questions to ask. To ensure the highest quality of life for the longest time possible, it is crucial that elders and their loved ones, begin a dialogue to discuss the topic of aging. This process needs to focus on the elder\'s hopes and desires, short and long term goals, and their abilities and needs; while at the same time establishing a spectrum of resources that will address the elder\'s evolving needs. For information about eldercare planning click on Advanced Care Planning Taking care of an elder can be a challenging responsibility that requires time, energy, and patience. In order to be effective in caring for another person, you must first take care of yourself. One of the first steps in caring for yourself, is understanding and recognizing the signs of caregiver stress. Once you are aware of the stressors in your life, and your body\'s warning signs; the next step is to incorporate effective stress reduction techniques into your day. Common Signs of Caregiver Stress
Possible Ways to Reduce Caregiver Stress More than 14 million employees are juggling work, raising a family, and providing caregiving tasks. While caregiving can be challenging and stressful, the situation can be complicated even further, when the elder lives in a different community or State. A Survey by The National Council on Aging
Questions to ask before committing yourself: I have the right to: To obtain more information or to request a consultation click on Contact Us
About Our Company Employee Assistance Professionals, Inc. has over 32 years of experience providing services for individuals, couples, families, and organizations. Our mission is to provide a broad range of high quality counseling, outreach, and consultation services to help clients assess their needs, evaluate their relationships, define their goals, and design action plans that includes specific and practical steps to achieve those goals. Our organizational goals are to:
The Caregiver Resource Center is a division of Employee Assistance Professionals, Inc. Our mission is to assist seniors, people with special needs and their families; in understanding the aging process, facilitating open communication; and providing information, support and guidance through the caregiving process. Our goals are to:
In addition to working with seniors, people with special needs and their families; The Caregiver Resource Center also provides a spectrum of services for businesses and their employees. Our services help maximize employee productivity, sustain supervisors\' focus on operations, and equips senior management with an effective cost management tool. We are available to provide services on a case-by-case basis, or as a full service company program.
The Caregiver Resource Center For more information or to
request a consultation, please contact:
(203) 861-9833
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