Your Role As a Caregiver
Am I a Caregiver?
A caregiver is someone who supports the basic needs and activities of daily life. They
A caregiver is someone who assists with the basic needs and activities of daily living. These
activities may include but are not limited to:
● Bathing
● Grooming
● Filling Medication Boxes/Refilling Prescriptions
● Shopping for and/or Preparing Meals
● Housekeeping
● Paying Bills
● Making & Providing Transportation to Medical Appointments
If it’s not in a full-time capacity, you may not consider the time you spend helping a loved one as being a caregiver. You may have said, “That’s what family does for each other.” However, if you are actively handling some or all of the above assistance duties on a regular basis, then you are a caregiver.
You Are Not Alone
The number of caregivers in the U.S. continues to grow every year. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, about 34.2 million Americans provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older within the last 12 months. Of those, about 15.7 million are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]
Caregiver Challenges
For the vast majority of people, caregiving is not a profession. As such, many also work their normal jobs while caring for their own families as well. This can prove to be taxing, and there are some commonly reported issues that may arise, including:
● Increased Stress
● Depression
● Anxiety
● Financial Strain
● Difficulties at Work/Absences
Feeling Overwhelmed with your family caregiving responsibilities?
Contact us today for your home care intervention Services!
