Fairfield, CT (PRWEB) November 20, 2007
Nearly 80% of family caregivers are finding the caregiving experience emotionally rewarding, despite initial negative perceptions of caregiving, according to a nationwide survey by Caring Today magazine.
Published in conjunction with National Family Caregivers Month this November, the Caring Today survey shows that caregivers have distinctly more positive feelings after caring for a family member than they did as they were about to take on the responsibility. The number of caregivers finding the experience highly rewarding jumped by 50% following the caregiving experience.
“National Family Caregivers Month is a time to recognize family caregivers for their good hearts and tireless support,” said President George W. Bush in a Presidential Proclamation. Some 50 million Americans act as family caregivers, providing non-paid assistance for a family member or friend who needs support, guidance and or/physical help with health and medical decisions.
A just-released National Alliance for Caregiving/Evercare study found that caregivers are often burdened by high out-of-pocket costs in caring for a spouse or parent. “While the Caring Today survey also found that many caregivers experience financial hardship due to caregiving, what is especially remarkable is that the overall caregiving experience is positive. Caregivers find that the caregiving experience helps them strengthen bonds with the person they’re caring for in a way they never thought possible,” said Susan Strecker Richard, Editor-in-Chief of Caring Today
The Caring Today survey also offers strong advice for caregivers: “Being prepared to be a caregiver is directly related to the well-being of the caregiver, not just the patient,” said Victor Imbimbo, President/CEO of Caring Today.
“Many people facing the issue of caring for an aging parent or physically-challenged relative wonder how they can manage it, along with all they do in other aspects of their busy lives,” said Richard. “However, for the majority of caregivers, the experience turns out to be emotionally rewarding beyond their highest expectations, reaffirming the significance of caregiving.”
Every caregiver must develop a connection with his or her loved one,” said caregiving advocate Debbie Newsham, 44, of Eagle River, Alaska, who has been caring for her father who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease for over four years. “We learn to make those connections, find those moments and allay those fears. This is how caregivers move to the next level, keep our spirits high and maintain the essence of our loved one.”
The survey indicates that caregivers’ concerns vary significantly before compared to after becoming a caregiver. Overall the differences are positive, with caregivers initially underestimating the degree of bonding with the care recipient; underestimating both how rewarding and enjoyable the caregiving experience can be, and over-anticipating the degree they would feel overwhelmed.
However, caregivers initially tended to underestimate the need to find more resources and information and the potential of experiencing financial hardship. When first learning of their new role as a caregiver, most caregivers recall initial feelings as: Concern (36%), Overwhelm (22%), or Inadequacy (14%). Some even felt Fear (10%), Panic (5%), Anger (3%) or Guilt (2%).
Among the key findings in the Caring Today survey:
Sixty percent of the caregivers called the experience “very or extremely rewarding,” a 50% jump over the number of caregivers who thought in advance they would find the experience “very or extremely rewarding.” Nearly 80% (78.8%) percent of the caregivers found the experience to be at least “rewarding,” an increase of more than one-third from initial expectation.
A majority of the caregivers–nearly 54%–formed a stronger bond with the patient during the time they were together.
Almost 60% of the respondents reported an improvement in the quality of their relationship with the person for whom they cared. By contrast, fewer than 10% said that their relationship got worse during the time they were caregivers.
Social activities of the caregiver tend to diminish. However, the diminished social activities are replaced with an increased quality of relationship with the care recipient.
More than 2/3 of all caregivers (68.7%) said they enjoy the tasks associated with caregiving. However, prior to assuming the role, fewer than half (45.5%) thought they would enjoy caregiving.
The amount of satisfaction with caregiving is directly related to the type of disease from which the care recipient suffers. Caregivers of depression sufferers, cancer and cardiac disease have more difficulty than those caring for patients who suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis.
“For me, caregiving is one of life’s crossroads,” said Newsham. “I have learned some painful lessons, but in such a unique and loving way that I realize this has not been wasted time for me. This has been a time to take personal inventory and realign priorities.”
Caregiver profile
The survey revealed the average family caregiver to be a 46-year-old woman. More than ¾ of caregivers are female. Nearly ¾ range in age from 35 to 59. The majority of caregivers use the Internet regularly and use it to learn more about health information.
Importance of preparation in caregiving
Preparation, according to the Caring Today survey, is a critical element in the satisfaction caregivers derive from their subsequent experience: Caregivers who were prepared for what to expect felt happy, honored and needed and were significantly less likely to experience negative emotions, such as panic and inadequacy.
“The bottom line” said Imbimbo, “is that being prepared means the caregiver knows more and has more relevant medical information, establishes a better relationship with doctors, and plans for a more balanced life for herself.”
While caregivers find the experience more enjoyable and less overwhelming than anticipated, many find the responsibility can take a physical and financial toll. Almost two thirds of caregivers are able to maintain their own health after becoming a caregiver (63%). However, about a third of caregivers experience a deterioration in their own health after becoming a caregiver (31%) and 38% describe themselves as being depressed. The majority, of the caregivers (53%) said they experienced financial hardships due to caregiving.
Anderson Analytics LLC, which conducted the survey for Caring Today, collected 514 valid responses online between April 26, 2007 and May 20, 2007. The survey has a confidence level of 95%.
About Caring Today, LLC
Caring Today, LLC, through its magazine and website, is the leading provider of practical advice and resources for family caregivers. Since 2004, the Connecticut-based multiplatform media company has delivered expertise and support to the estimated 50 million American family caregivers through www.caringtoday.com and Caring Today, a bimonthly magazine with a national circulation of 750,000.
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National Alzheimer’s disease awareness month
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Albuquerque, NM (PRWEB) April 14, 2010
With a 75-million strong Baby Boomer population reaching retirement age, private geriatric care management has become a valuable option for consumers trying to care for aging loved ones as well as professionals looking to enter the booming field. That topic – and other issues impacting the caregivers of seniors and people with disabilities – will take center stage at the upcoming National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) 26th annual conference.
The 2010 NAPGCM Annual Conference Conference]– which runs April 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque – will bring together the industry’s top experts in an effort to network, share knowledge and analyze existing and new trends in the area of aging, caregiving and special needs. Conference attendees will be able to brush up on various topics, from the business-related benefits of social networking to emerging trends in dementia care and best hiring practice tips. Other sessions include an introduction to care management for professionals interesting in joining the industry, tips on retooling a practice to meet the needs of an increasingly multicultural society and an in-depth look at compulsive hoarding, a clinical disorder that is highly overlooked and misunderstood in our communities. And in the wake of the recent passage of health care reform, another topic of discussion will be the impact of the legislation on the senior population.
NAPGCM representatives will also discuss association changes and accomplishments. To evolve industry standards and improve profession-recognized qualifications, the association recently introduced new membership categories and certification changes. In addition, NAPGCM – which now has more than 1,000 certified members – strengthened ties with other aging organizations and increased member benefits, which include access to business and marketing resources, educational opportunities, discounted prices to conferences and events and the potential for national leadership positions. (Read more about geriatric care management certification.)
“We are committed to setting higher standards of care,” said NAPGCM President Linda Fodrini-Johnson, a fellow certified geriatric care manager based in San Francisco – Oakland, CA. “These changes will ultimately help improve services provided to the older adult and their families, which is important to both consumers and geriatric care practitioners interested in advancing their career.”
For more information on the NAPGCM conference or for information on joining NAPGCM, visit www.caremanager.org.
ABOUT NAPGCM
Based in Tucson, AZ, the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) was formed in 1985 to advance dignified care for older adults and their families. Geriatric Care Managers are professionals who have extensive training and experience working with older people, people with disabilities and families who need assistance with caregiving issues. They assist older adults who wish to remain in their homes, or can help families in the search for a suitable nursing home placement or extended care if the need occurs. The practice of geriatric care management and the role of care providers have captured a national spotlight, as generations of Baby Boomers age in the United States and abroad. (Get a closer look at Baby Boomers, long distance caregiving, elder care and other geriatric care topics on video.)
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AES Seniors
