Caring for a loved one defines the purest expression of love. And there is a lot of love out there. A 2009 AARP report indicates that more than 48.9 million Americans care for an adult family member or friend. Caregivers are predominantly female, have an average age of 48 years and are mainly caring for a relative. One out of three has been providing care for more than five years. Almost all caregivers report adverse effects on their emotional health, social activities, leisure time, and more than half reported adverse effects on family relationships.
In a 6-year study of elderly people caring for spouses with Alzheimer's Disease, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser found a significant deterioration in the health of caregivers when compared to a similar group of non-caregivers. She found a four-fold increase in an immune system protein—interleukin 6 (IL-6), a protein that indicates stress on the body— as compared to an identically matched control group of non-caregivers. All other factors, including age, were not significant to the outcome. Even the younger caregivers saw an increase in IL-6.
The study also found that the caregivers had a 63% higher death rate than the control group. About 70% of the caregivers died before the end of the study. Another surprising result was that high levels of IL-6 continued even three years after the caregiving stopped. The blood sample was also used to measure the lengths of telomeres—bits of DNA on the ends of chromosomes—which have been associated with aging. The shorter the telomeres the shorter their life. Caregivers showed significantly shorter telomere length than did non-caregiving participants.
Earlier research had already established that caregivers have higher rates of depression and poorer health. Their wounds heal slower, they respond poorly to influenza and pneumonia vaccines and they suffer more inflammation. When subjects were given intravenous fat injections during times of stress, it took longer for the fats to be filtered from the bloodstream. Residual fat in the blood stream is one of the causes of heart disease. Caregiving becomes more stressful the longer you do it.
Being aware of this and planning to minimize as much of the stress as possible can be achieved by following some direct approaches:
1. Ask for help: Start off with a sibling, spouse, friend and neighbors and get written commitments from those willing to help.
2. Seek care management advice: Go to http://eldercare.signonsandiego.com/?q=taxonomy/term/457 for county lists of agencies. Or call the hot line 211 for general information.
3. Make time to rest: Taking a break (respite) from caregiving is important for your health. Make arrangements with family or friends or plan to take your loved one to an adult day care center for short periods. Visit: http://eldercare.signonsandiego.com/?q=taxonomy/term/455 for services to provide you with respite
4. Use assistive technology: Use wheelchairs, canes, ramps, bathroom rails, and other assistive devices to help with caregiving. Go to http://eldercare.signonsandiego.com/?q=equipment to identify services that can help you with assistive technology.
Caring for someone you love is, or will be, one of the most stressful events in your life. By recognizing this and managing your obligations so that you give yourself respite will go some way to not becoming ill or harming yourself.
Mario Garrett is a professor of Gerontology at San Diego State University can be reached at mariusgarrett@yahoo.commariusgarrett@yahoo.com
© Mario Garrett 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment