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What Caregivers Say
We recently asked over 500 caregivers to tell us about their caregiving experiences. Here is some of what they told us in our Caring Today/CVS/pharmacy Family Caregiver Insights Study: Well-Being and Care Management.
Biggest Initial Reactions
When you first realized you were a caregiver, in addition to concern for the person, you remember feeling:
- 43% Overwhelmed
- 34% Fear
- 31% Inadequacy
However, after becoming a caregiver, fewer of you felt overwhelmed than anticipated. And even if you said you felt unprepared, you told us that the actual experience turned out to be better than expected.
Where You First Turned for Help
- 58% Family
- 45% Doctors
- 38% Internet
- 28% Friends
The majority agrees that doctors understand well the role of caregivers.
Primary Concern: Medications
The vast majority—87%—feels that understanding medications is very important. But you also expressed these major concerns:
- 26% Don't know how drugs interact
- 21% Are not able to recognize side effects
- 17% Don't know what questions to ask
Where Do You Get Medication Information?
- 69% Talk to doctors
- 55% Research on the Internet
- 50% Read product information
- 46% Talk with the pharmacist
However, even though you said doctors are the biggest help in easing concerns about medications...42% said you'd like even more time with the doctor.
Expectations vs. Experience
- 46% thought they'd enjoy tasks associated with caregiving, but
- 69% found that they actually did enjoy them
- 60% expected to find caregiving rewarding, but
- 79% really did find the experience rewarding
Immediate Needs
What was your most immediate need once you assumed the role of caregiver?
- 37% Establishing life balance among caregiving, family, career and personal needs
- 20% Knowing what to do next
- 19% Needing to understand medical information
Lifestyle & Health
Since becoming a caregiver, what feelings or actions have increased?
- 59% Quality of relationship with the person I care for
- 41% Being organized
- 33% Feeling focused
However, four in 10 caregivers also report increased feelings of depression and three in 10 think that their health condition has deteriorated since becoming a caregiver.
About the Survey: This independent online CaringToday/CVS/pharmacy Family Caregiver Insights Study was conducted and analyzed by Anderson Analytics and Merlin Insights between April 26 and May 20, 2007. The survey participants, 514 qualified adults 18 years of age and over, are from a national proprietary panel and were prescreened to qualify for the study. Margin of error +/- 4.3% at the 95% confidence level.
week ends
My dad goes to senior day care during the week. But I am at a loss of what to do with him on the week-ends. Evenings are also a problem, he can't be left alone and I miss going out to dinner with friends.
Wekends and Evenings
I share your concerns as I have the same problem with my husband. One of the things I miss the most is being able to do something on a whim. This summer I plan on using grandkids as sitters to assist me when I need extra help.
Weekends/Evenings
All caregivers need some respite--time to do what they want, that makes them happy and allows their batteries to be recharged. For help in how to find coverage when you need respite, check Caring Today's Caregiver Guide for Respite Care. You can access it from the caringtoday.com homepage, or from the Caregiver Resources tab at the top of every page, including this one.