The emotional and physical impact of care on caregivers’ health cannot be dismissed. It is estimated that 44 million people eighteen years of age and older in the United States provide unpaid assistance to adults who are aging or have disabilities. The value of this unpaid group is almost double that of both the nursing home ($115 billion) and home health care industries ($43 billion), coming in at $306 billion annually. While this shows a remarkable amount of care for one’s family and community, evidence shows that most caregivers do not have the necessary support they need and are not prepared for what is required of them. There is emotional and physical impact of care on caregivers’ health while they care for others. As a result, it is extremely important to prepare for the possibility of being a caregiver in advance to help alleviate the effects of caring for others down the line.
In terms of emotional strain, caregivers are more susceptible to clinical depression than those who are not primary caregivers, with 40%-70% of caregivers having signs of depression and another 25%-50% actually meeting the diagnostic criteria of major depression. Additionally, caregivers are more likely to have higher levels of stress and frustration than those that are not adding being a primary caregiver on top of their daily routine. Studies shows that 16% of caregivers say they feel emotionally strained while being a caregiver, while 13% report that the lack of progress of their care recipient highly increases their level of frustration. Meanwhile, 22% of them said that after a day of caregiving they feel fully exhausted by the time they go to bed at night. It is hard work taking care of those you love that are in need— especially if you are ill equipped to do so.
As for the physical impact on the health of caregivers, 11% felt that their overall health had worsened since starting to provide care. In 2005, ⅓ of non-caregivers reported fair or poor overall health, while ⅗ of caregivers reported the same. As a result of the focused attention they provide for others, caregivers have also been proven to take part in less preventative healthcare measures.
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