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Elder Care News
Caregivers – Stressed and Depressed – Sink into
Downward Health Spiral
Lack of personal healthcare diminishes ability to care for others
 September 25, 2006 – Most caregivers find
themselves in a downward health spiral that threatens their ability to
provide care, as a result of the stress and worry of taking care of
others. Millions of these caregivers neglect their own physical and
mental health and spiral into depression, extreme fatigue, poor eating,
insufficient exercise and taking too many medications to try and offset
the decline. These are some of the findings of a study by Evercare
released today with the National Alliance for Caregiving.
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Elder Care News |
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There are more than 44 million caregivers in the
U.S., with 21% of households containing at least one caregiver, and as
the "Baby Boomers" turn 65, that number is expected to surge.
When a previous study conducted in 2004 revealed
2.5 million caregivers in fair or poor health, Evercare and NAC say they
recognized the importance of specifically taking a comprehensive look at
the impact of caregiving on those caregivers' own health and wellness,
and this is the first national study to do so.
Extreme stress leads to alarming health symptoms
and behavior
An alarming nine in 10 (91%) caregivers surveyed --
all in fair/poor health and having seen a decline in their health as a
result of caregiving -- suffer from depression, and eight in 10 (81%) of
those with depression reported that caregiving has made their depression
worse.
Respondents cited stress as the most pervasive
health problem in their lives, stemming from worry about their loved
one's condition as well as being overwhelmed with caregiving
responsibilities. In focus groups, caregivers recount how the stress
emerges in various physical ailments, including increased blood
pressure, heart attack scares, arthritis flare-ups, acid reflux,
headaches and other symptoms.
Ninety percent say they worry more or feel more
stress now than they did prior to becoming caregivers, and respondents
cited lack of energy/sleep (87%), pain/aching (60%), and weight gain or
loss (38%). As a result of this stress, 10% of respondents reported
increased misuse of prescription drugs or alcohol and more than half
(51%) report taking more medications.
Moreover, 82% say that their sleeping habits are
worse than before, while 63% say their eating habits and 58% say their
exercising habits are worse than before.
Caregivers sacrifice their own health in favor
of caregiving duties
The Evercare Study also found that, among
caregivers surveyed, caregiving often replaces their own health
maintenance. Despite being in fair or poor health and worsening health
since becoming caregivers, nearly three in four (72%) admit they have
not gone to the doctor as often as they should, and more than half (55%)
have missed doctors' appointments. One in five women report having
mammograms less often (21%) and a similar proportion of men are not as
up to date with their prostate exams as they once were (23%). Also, 33%
say they get their teeth cleaned less often, 29% neglect periodic vision
tests, and 26% skip periodic physical exams.
"Caregiving has to include caring for yourself. The
fact that caregivers sacrifice their own well-being while caring for a
loved one underscores the need for greater awareness around the issue
and for programs that support their health needs," said Dr. John Mach,
CEO of Evercare.
"There are broad implications to caregivers' health
decline in terms of their ability to function, provide care to their
loved one and perform well at work for the 25% of the U.S. workforce
that struggles to balance caregiving with their job."
"The study's findings not only provide a portrait
of caregivers' health risks, but also point toward areas for specific
preventative intervention," said Gail Hunt, President and CEO of the
National Alliance for Caregiving.
"Caregivers play a vital and often overlooked role
caring for our nation's aging population and we hope this study spurs
increased focus by the government and private and non-profit sectors on
caregiver health as a public health issue."
The most common reasons given for not going to the
doctor as often as necessary are putting their family's needs (67%) or
care recipient's needs (57%) ahead of their own. Fifty-one percent say
they don't have time to take care of themselves with their other
responsibilities, and nearly half (49%) are too tired.
Among the other key findings of the study:
Caregivers Feel Alone, Often Don't Ask for Help
Although they often have family members or friends
who could help them, they sometimes shoulder more responsibility than
they have to because they don't ask for help. Support from family and
friends has the potential to relieve their burden, but caregivers must
overcome the barrier of asking for help. Among those surveyed:
● The large majority (75%) feel they had no
choice in taking on their caregiving responsibility.
● Nearly seven in ten (69%) spend less time with
family and friends.
● Half of those surveyed (51%) would like to talk
to someone who could help them identify tasks that other family members
or friends could be doing, and teach them how to gain that cooperation.
Respondents think an outside consultant could help them approach their
families in a different way, or teach them to delegate and prioritize
their tasks better.
Caregiving Is a Full-Time Job -- Respondents
Spend Average of 41 Hours Doing It
● Thirty-seven percent spend more than 40 hours a
week providing care, and 30% spend 20-39 hours per week doing so.
● More than one-third of those surveyed (37%)
report spending less time at their jobs.
● Those who work full-time are more apt than
others to say their eating habits are worse than before (73% vs. 53% for
part-timers and 62% for those retired or not employed).
More hours spent caregiving equated with greater
decline
Previous studies have shown that caregivers spend
on average 4.5 years caregiving, with the needs escalating over time,
thus impacting caregiver health significantly over that period. The
Evercare study revealed that the more time caregivers spend caring for a
loved one, the greater their health decline.
This is especially true for those caregivers
providing a higher level intensity of caregiving such as giving
medications or injections, bathing, feeding, dressing or other
activities of daily living. Caregivers who reported their health got a
lot worse as result of caregiving (15%) spend an average of 58 hours a
week caregiving and those with a moderate deterioration in health (44%)
spend an average of 42 hours a week caregiving.
Caregivers Describe Support Services They'd
Prefer Most
Surprisingly, although 82% of respondents report
that their doctor or their care recipient's doctors are aware of their
caregiving role, only half of these caregivers (56%) report that doctors
have suggested ways they can take better care of their own health.
The caregivers surveyed are receptive to support
services that could help them save time, reduce stress, manage their own
health more effectively or provide them with caregiving expertise. The
majority of respondents say they would be likely (63% very/somewhat
likely) to call an expert about the stress they feel and other
caregiving issues.
More than six in ten (63%) say they would also use
services provided by a mobile health van, and they explain that such a
service might make them more likely to take care of their own routine
health care. Similarly, half of respondents (50%) would like to be able
to call a nurse to stay with their loved one while they go to the doctor
themselves.
The study also found that the existence of
caregiver support services is not sufficient to ensure that they are
used. Caregivers need to be made aware of support services through
concerted communications efforts, and may also need encouragement to try
whatever services are offered.
The Evercare Study of Caregivers in Decline: A
Close-up Look at the Health Risks of Caring for a Loved One, was
released by Evercare, a leading provider of health plans for people who
have chronic or advanced illness, are older or have disabilities, and
the NAC, a leading research authority on caregiving.
Notes:
About the Study/Methodology
In a 2004 survey, 17% of caregivers reported
their health as fair to poor, compared to just 9% of the general
population who report the same. Among those caregivers in fair to poor
health, 35% -- or more than 2.5 million -- reported their health had
worsened due specifically to caregiving. In this new study, Evercare and
the National Alliance for Caregiving sought to take a closer look at
this population of caregivers whose own health is at risk due to their
caregiving responsibilities in order to understand why and how
caregiving negatively impacts their health. The study was designed to be
a valuable tool for understanding this issue, and was conducted among
caregivers who were in fair to poor health, and who said that their
health worsened as a result of caregiving, through online (528
caregivers) and as well as 12 in-depth telephone questionnaires and four
focus groups. Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Inc. conducted the study.
About Evercare
Evercare coordinates health care and well-being
services for people who have long-term or advanced illnesses, are older
or have disabilities. Started in 1987, Evercare today serves more than
100,000 people nationwide through a variety of Medicaid, Medicare, and
private-pay health plans, programs and services in the home, the
community and skilled nursing facilities. The Evercare(TM) Solutions for
Caregivers program provides caregiving support, assistance and services
for approximately 400,000 caregivers and their families delivered
primarily through employer work-life programs. Evercare is part of
Ovations, a division of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH)
dedicated to the health care needs of Americans over age 50. For more
information about Evercare, call 1-866-772-0859 (TTY 1-888-685-8480) or
visit
http://www.evercarehealthplans.com/.
About National Alliance for Caregiving
Established in 1996, the National Alliance for
Caregiving is a nonprofit coalition of more than 40 national
organizations that focuses on issues of family caregiving across the
life span. The Alliance was created to conduct research, do policy
analysis, develop national programs and increase public awareness of
family caregiving issues. Recognizing that family caregivers make
important societal and financial contributions toward maintaining the
well being of those for whom they care, the Alliance's mission is to be
the objective national resource on family caregiving with the goal of
improving the quality of life for families and care recipients.
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