Caregivers

Caregivers are individuals who assist others unable to fully care for themselves. Caregivers can be formal, meaning they’re hired and paid to provide care, like a home health nurse; or informal, where care is provided voluntarily by loved ones, such as spouses, grandparents, or friends. As the nurse, you’ll provide support and offer strategies to help reduce stress in informal caregivers.

Caregiving can be a source of joy and fulfillment, while at the same time, it can be a source of physical, mental, and financial stress. Physical problems include poor sleep, physical strain, immunocompromise, and even higher mortality rates. Additionally, caregivers with existing chronic health problems may find their condition worsens; and some may even develop cognitive decline.

Mental health conditions related to caregiver stress include depression, anxiety, increased alcohol use, and feelings of being overwhelmed, upset, or confined. If mental stress is left untreated, it can increase the risk for abuse or neglect by the caregiver.

Financial issues faced by caregivers may include having to call out of work frequently, needing to take an extended leave, or paying for resources out-of-pocket. In fact, due to the unpaid nature of their caregiving, informal caregivers are more likely to live in poverty.

Physical, mental, and financial stress can be exacerbated in certain situations, such as when caring for a spouse with dementia or a child with an intellectual or developmental disability. For example, individuals with dementia can require more time- and resource-intensive care due to impairments related to their activities of daily living, or ADLs, and instrumental activities of daily living, or IADLs. Caregivers may also have a difficult time communicating with their loved one due to their condition.

Lastly, caregivers of a child with a disability may themselves be aging and worry about who will care for their child if they become too ill or die. They may also have more financial stress if they are retired and living on a fixed income.

As the nurse, you’ll provide support and offer strategies to help reduce stress in informal caregivers.