One of the questions that Dr. Radina wanted us to discuss in class was how physical and mental health problems affect an older person's family, friends, and neighbors. In my professional experience, the individuals in this support system are normally referred to as caregivers. I can not tell you how much respect I have for the caregivers I see every day doing everything they can to keep their loved ones at home and out of institutions. I have never met an older adult who wanted to go to a nursing home and caregivers support this choice every day.
While I work with caregivers, caregiving is not an area I have had much interest, although I am always empathetic with the caregivers' situations in juggling so many responsibilities, such as work and their family's needs. I refer caregivers to local support groups or to the Council on Aging and Alzheimer Association's caregiver support programs. The more I think about caregiving, the more I realize that I'm actually dreading becoming a caregiver for my parents and in-laws. Through my work and other life experiences, I know that being a caregiver is one of the hardest jobs there is to do! It is physically, mentally, financially, spiritually and emotionally demanding!
In 2004, the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, conducted a national caregiver survey of adult caregivers in the U.S. This study found that "the typical caregiver is a 46 year old woman with some college experience and provides more than 20 hours of care each week to her mother" (NAC, 2004, p.6). I guess that makes me feel a little better knowing that I have another ten years before I'll become one of "the estimated 44.4 million caregivers or an estimated 21% of the adult population in the U.S. providing unpaid care to another adult" (NAC, 2004, p.6).
There is great potential for chaos in a decade! My son will be a teenager and in many after-school activities. I will be done with my graduate degree and working full-time. Will I really be able to provide my parents and in-laws 20 hours a week to help them stay at home? Oh, my parents live 45 minutes one-way and my in-laws are 7 hours away.You can see that in the above scenario, I could easily be just like the caregivers who report having difficulty "finding time for one’s self (35%), managing emotional and physical stress (29%), and balancing work and family responsibilities (29%)" (NAC, 2004, p.8). I would love to be able to say that my parents and in-laws will be in great health since they will only be in their mid-seventies in ten years. Unfortunately, they already suffer from many of the major physical and mental health problems outlined in Aging, the Individual, and Society. Those include Heart Disease, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Depression. Let's hope they continue to be able to manage those chronic health conditions with medication and exercise and they don't develop any acute illnesses.
I am fortunate, that my parents and in-laws have resources, including long-term care insurance that will help meet their future needs. If needed, I won't hesitate to connect them with community resources to help them stay at home. I have learned from my clients' caregivers that I can't do it alone. They say it takes a village to raise a child and I believe it takes a village to keep an older adult safe at home. I'll let that village help me when it's my turn to take care of my parents and in-laws.
NAC, 2004: National Alliance for Caregiving/AARP, Caregiving in the U.S., 2004,
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/us_caregiving_1.pdf
Miller, S.M., & Barrow, G.M., (2007) Aging, the Individual, and Society. United States.
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