November 29, 2013 | Caregiving
November is National Family Caregiver Month and National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, and Elder Care Guides joined the nation in honoring the 65 million caregivers in the United States. According to a recent study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 29 percent of the U.S. population provides care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family or friend during any given year, and these dedicated and loving individuals spend an average of 20 hours per week providing that care.
It’s frequently cited that caregivers are at elevated risk of depression and various health conditions. But in contrast to the pervasive belief that “caregiving is bad for your health,” a new study from Johns Hopkins suggests that being a caregiver for a family member with a disability may actually lead to a longer life.
“Taking care of a chronically ill person in your family is often associated with stress, and caregiving has been previously linked to increased mortality rates,” said Dr. David Roth, Director of the Johns Hopkins University Center on Aging and Health, and first author of the study published this month in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Roth and his colleagues studied and compared data on 3,503 family caregivers to that of 3,503 non-caregivers. All of those studied were over age 45, and the two groups were matched based on demographics, health history, and health behaviors. After six years, they found that “significantly fewer” caregivers had died compared to the non-caregivers, with the caregiver group experiencing “an 18 percent reduced rate of death.”
“If highly stressful situations can be avoided or managed effectively, caregiving may actually offer some health benefits for both the care recipients and the caregivers, including reduced risk of death for those providing care,” Roth said. “Public discussions of caregiving should more accurately balance the potential risks and gains of this universal family role.”
As Dr. Roth indicates, caregivers are split into two different groups: those who are prepared for (and avoid) highly stressful situations, and those who are not managing those highly stressful situations effectively. According to the John Hopkins study, those families who are prepared receive the added benefit of longer life.
Professional Care Managers work with many families who care deeply about their loved one, and wish to be actively involved. Those who work full time, or are raising their own children are especially pressed for time, and short on energy. Through our involvement, we witness the transformation of worried, exhausted family caregivers into more relaxed, well-supported, prepared individuals, who feel confident in their decision-making. We offer advocacy, education, psychosocial support, medication management … and a warm, understanding smile when it’s needed most.
Elder Care Guides appreciates all caregivers – including our own professional caregiver employees who work in the homes of our clients, providing value, purpose, and dignity to their days. We consider every caregiver to be a hero – not just this month, but every month.