BENEFITS OF RESPITE
How getting help helps
BY:FRAN SILVERMAN
What caregivers often don't realize is that they do themselves-and those in their care-more harm than good by not taking time off. Over 50 million people provide care for chronically ill, disabled or aged family members during any given year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Seventeen percent of family caregivers provide 40 hours or more of care a week, according to a study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.
Studies from a variety of healthcare agencies and other experts show that those who provide care are at higher risk for a host of stress-related health problems, including depression and chronic illness. Fact is, according to Caring Today's own survey, four in 10 caregivers report increased feelings of depression and three in 10 believe that their health has deteriorated since they've become a caregiver.
Here are some facts you should know:
Family caregivers suffer a chronic condition at more than twice the rate as non-caregivers
Stress from providing care can take as much as ten years off
a family caregiver's life
Family caregivers who provide more than 36 hours of care
weekly are more likely than non-caregivers to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety. For a spousal caregiver, the rate is six times higher; for adult children caring for a parent, it is twice as high
Elderly spousal caregivers with their own history of illness, and who are experiencing care-related stress, have a 63 percent higher mortality rate than non-caregiving peers
RESPITE CARE MAKES COMMON SENSE
Respite care is not a luxury. It is a necessity for both the caregiver and the ill loved one. "The more you are a caregiver," says Donna Schempp, LCSW and program director for the Family Caregiver Alliance, "the more isolated you get and the more your world narrows down. Respite helps because it distracts you from what you are doing every day. lt gives you time to take a deep breath and think of other things."
Respite can help both the patient and the caregiver by allowing a caregiver to get much-needed rest and relaxation, and it brings a variety of interpersonal relationships into the life of the ailing loved one.
"It helps the caregiver reduce stress levels, which increases his or her immune system," says Schempp. "After a respite, a caregiver will be more willing to be patient and do things she needs to do instead of feeling frustrated and exhausted.
"Taking respite is something you do for the care receiver so you can be a better caregiver,'' Schempp adds. "It also helps the person being cared for because having someone else come in and care for a person can be a breath of fresh air for that person and bring a new perspective."