Caregiver stress and strategies for self care when helping an elderly or disabled adult family member with activities of daily living at home.

1. Caring for the Caregiver
Strategies for Self Care

2. Company, Date
Caregiving Today
● 52 million informal and family caregivers provide
care to someone aged 20+ who is ill or disabled
● 34 million adults involved in caregiving to persons
aged 50 or over
● 8.9 million informal caregivers provide care for
someone aged 50+ with dementia
-Administration on Aging- http://www.aoa.gov
● .

3. Company, Date
Care Recipient Profile
● Female (65%) and widowed (42%)
● 80% are age 50 or older
● Average age is 75 years
● 55% live in their own home
Source:AARP- http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/us_caregiving_1.pdf

4. Company, Date
Caregiver Profile
● Women (61%) and Men (39%)
● Between ages of 18-49 years (58%) with over 50 (42%)
● Almost 60% work either full or part-time while providing care
● Provide average of 21 hours of care per week
● Length of care averages 4.3 years
● 40% female caregivers experience emotional stress , 26% of males
● One in six caregivers says their health is fair or poor
Source: AARP - http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/us_caregiving_1.pdf

5. Company, Date
Caregiver Burden
● Level of Burden index based on activities of daily living required
and amount of time devoted to caregiving (Low - 1, High – 5)
● 37% say no one else helped with the person they cared for during past year
● 41 % say their care recipient received paid services outside of nursing home
● Half of all caregivers say they provide care at lower ranges of Burden Index
● 30% say they provide care in the higher range at Levels 4 and 5
Source: AARP - http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/us_caregiving_1.pdf

6. Company, Date
Caregiver Unmet Needs
● Most frequently reported unmet need is finding time for one’s self (35%)
● Managing emotional and physical stress (29%)
● Balancing work and family responsibilities (29%)
● Three in ten caregivers say need help keeping care recipient safe (30%)
● Finding easy activities to do with the person they care for (27%)
● One in five caregivers need help talking with doctor
● Help with making end-of-life decisions (20%)
● Turn to internet most for information (29%) followed by doctor (28%)
● Seven in ten caregivers (73%) say praying helps cope with stress
Source: AARP - http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/us_caregiving_1.pdf

7. Continued
Depression/
Reengagement
Distress
Recovery
Relief
Psychological
Appraisal
Health
Effects
Initiate
IADL CG
Expand
ADL CG
PlacementCG/
CR
Trajectory
Minor
Benign
Psychiatric/
Physical
Morbidity
Distress
Death
Chronic Stress Trajectory
in Caregiving
Death
Source – Dr. Richard Schulz
http://iber.berkeley.edu/BCRN/conference2012/BCRN%20Conf_Talks2012/Schulz_BCRN%20talk.pdf

8. Company, Date
Caregiver Health
● Caregiving spouses between ages of 66 and 96 under mental or
emotional strain have a 63% higher risk of dying than that of people
same age
Caregivers Report:
● Sleep deprivation
● Poor eating habits
● Failure to exercise
● Failure to stay in bed when ill
● Postponement of or failure to make medical appointments for
themselves
 46 - 59 % are clinically depressed
Source : Family Caregiver Alliance http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=847-

9. Company, Date
Personal barriers to Self-Care
Caregivers Need to Ask Themselves:
● Do you think you are being selfish if you put your needs first?
● Is it frightening to think of your own needs? What is the fear about?
● Do you have trouble asking for what you need?
● Do you feel inadequate if you ask for help?
● Do you feel you have to prove that you are worthy of the care recipient's
affection?
● Do you do too much as a result?
-

10. Company, Date
Misconceptions As Barriers to Self-Care
Caregiver Express:
● I am responsible for my parent's health
● If I don't do it, no one will
● If I do it right, I will get the love, attention, and respect I deserve
● Our family always takes care of their own
● I promised my father I would always take care of my mother
Source : Family Caregiver Alliance
http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=847
-

11. Company, Date
Eight Tools for Self Care
1. Reduce Personal Stress
2. Setting Goals
3. Seeking Solutions
4. Communicating Constructively
5. Asking for and Accepting Help
6. Talking to the Physician
7. Starting to Exercise
8. Learning from Our Emotions
-

12. Company, Date
Self- Care IS Part of Caregiving Job
 Learn and use stress-reduction techniques (meditation, prayer, yoga, Tai Chi)
 Attend to your own healthcare needs.
 Get proper rest and nutrition.
 Exercise regularly, if only for 10 minutes at a time
 Take time off without feeling guilty
 Participate in pleasant, nurturing activities(reading a good book, take warm bath)
 Seek and accept the support of others
 Seek supportive counseling, or talk to trusted counselor,friend, or pastor
 Identify and acknowledge your feelings, you have a right to ALL of them.
 Change the negative ways you view situations.
 Set goals

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