Caregivers Awareness Month

Tana Loy

          Modern medicine and technology have been a miracle for so many of us. Science has produced drugs, machines, and therapies to lengthen our lifespans and improve our quality of life. This has introduced a new phenomenon to the American culture: caregiving. While providing care for family and friends is not new, the number of people who identify themselves as caregivers has grown exponentially in recent years. In 2009, there were an estimated 65.7 million people in the US who identified as a caregiver.¹ New advances in medicine aren’t the only reasons. The economic downturn has also forced many families to live together, with people providing unpaid care to their loved ones.²

          Our elderly loved ones are not the only demographic requiring assistance with their care. Many people also provide care to their own minor children or other relatives. However, one group of caregiving recipients is often overlooked: our nation’s veterans. 

          November is Caregiver Awareness Month, and on November 11, 2013, our nation celebrated Veterans Day. In a study published in 2010, 17% of caregivers to adults were providing support to veterans.³ As of 2013, there are approximately 11,000 caregivers enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support Program.⁴ For caregivers of veterans of the post-9/11 era, this program provides a monthly stipend, 30 days of respite care, medical training for the caregiver, health insurance, mental health services, and travel reimbursement.⁵ However, for veterans who became ill or injured before 9/11, caregiving support is much more modest. Recently, new legislation was introduced to expand coverage to caregivers of veterans of the pre-9/11 era.

          Caregivers of veterans, whether or not they receive support, are performing a great service to our country, sometimes with great personal sacrifice. Caregiving is not an easy task, and caregiver burnout is a real condition. Caregivers may experience the following symptoms:

• Feelings of depression
• A sense of ongoing, constant fatigue 
• Decreasing interest in work
• Withdrawal from social activities and friends
• Increase in use of stimulants and alcohol
• Increasing fear of death 
• Change in eating patterns 
•  Feelings of helplessness

If you are a caregiver, Today’s Caregiver⁶ recommends the following tips to help you prevent burnout:

• Participate in a support network 
•  Consult with professionals to explore burnout issues 
•  Attend a support group to receive feedback and coping strategies 
•  Vary the focus of caregiving responsibilities, if possible (for example, rotate responsibilities with family members) 
•  Exercise daily and maintain a healthy diet\Establish "quiet time" for meditation 
•  Get a weekly massage 
•  Stay involved in hobbies

Caregivers are special people, taking on a job that is emotionally and physically challenging. However, there are resources available to help caregivers cope with the stress of caring for loved ones.

References:

1. Caregiving in the U.S.: Executive Summary (November 2009). Publication of National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP. http://www.caregiving.org/pdf/research/CaregivingUSAllAgesExecSum.pdf.Accessed October 23. 2013.
2. Waseem F. Family caregivers on the rise, study says [news article]. USA Today Web site. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/20/number-of-family-care-givers-increases-according-to-study/2438827/. Published June 20, 2013. Accessed October 23, 2013.
3. Caregivers of Veterans – Serving on the Homefront. Report of Study Findings: November, 2010.
4. Publication of the National Alliance for Caregiving and United Health Foundation. http://www.caregiving.org/data/2010_Caregivers_of_Veterans_FULLREPORT_WEB_FINAL.pdf. Accessed October 23, 2013.
5.  Freking K. Veterans' caregivers cut out from federal benefit [news article]. Huffington Post Web site. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/04/veterans-federal-benefit_n_3868068.html. Published September 4, 2013. Accessed October 23, 2013.
6. VA Caregiver Support: Services for family caregivers of post-9/11 veterans. United States Department of Veterans Affairs Web site. http://www.caregiver.va.gov/support_benefits.asp. Updated August 10, 2012.  Accessed October 23, 2013.
7.  Seligson MR. Caregiver burnout. Today’s Caregiver Web site. http://caregiver.com/articles/caregiver/caregiver_burnout.htm. Accessed October 23, 2013.

ARTCRAFT HEALTH & WELLNESS Artcraft Health Education & Wellness develops innovative, custom solutions to help hospitals and clinics educate patients and their caregivers. We create highly customized solutions with easy-to-understand information that encourages open communication between patients and healthcare professionals. Our educational materials can help you increase patient compliance, improve health outcomes, reduce readmission rates, and ensure full Medicare reimbursement.