Double Duty — The Role of Caregiver
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-10-23 12:32:16.152163-04:00
With November being National Family Caregiver Month, AARP Ohio feels it is important to recognize the selfless acts of caregivers, who provide care to family members on a regular basis. Each year, over 286,000 Ohioans between the ages of 50-64 provide care for a family member.
Sometimes care giving starts with simple errands; sometimes the change is more dramatic and sudden. Either way, it is important to think about your role as a caregiver, even if that day has not yet arrived for you and your family. It is impossible to predict when you may end up being the primary source of support for your aging loved ones.
Many times the role of caregiver will fall to a spouse or an adult child who's trying to balance their new responsibilities along with work, children and their own personal time. Hearing the experiences of other caregivers can ease the burden and lessen the isolation that often comes with the task of caregiving.
For over a decade Patricia has served in the role of caregiver to both her mother and father. She shares her experience in AARP Ohio's State of 50+ report:
Throughout the last ten years, Patricia took care of her mother during the onset of cancer, treatment and her subsequent death. Meanwhile, Patricia's dad developed dementia which progressed significantly during her Mother's illness. For several years, she pulled "double duty" helping her mother throughout her steady decline while coping with her father's new condition and diminished capacity to understand fully what was happening to his wife.
Although Patricia shares the role of caregiver intermittently with her older brother, most of the responsibility for her father's well-being rests on her shoulders. Even though the direct care burden has eased with her father's relocation to an assisted living facility, there is still much to manage. Patricia describes the stress of the situation, "I work full-time, take care of Dad's finances and visit him regularly. When he is afraid and confused in the middle of the night it is me they call to comfort him. In addition to caring for my dad I still try to make time for my life and my spouse. I can't deny it's been a strain."
According to AARP Ohio's State of 50+ report (see link to this report below), Patricia's story is like those of many caregivers, and it continues to become a trend. In 2004 15.8% of Ohioans age 50-64 provided care to a family member in the home.
There are many community resources available to support caregivers as they provide the care needed to help their loved ones. AARP Ohio has arranged a variety of resources in our Caregiver Resources to help you take the first steps in providing the support your loved one needs.
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