The Impact of Caregiving

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation
________________________________________________
A fair amount of research has been completed showing conclusively that psycho-social intervention and an educated caregiver can improve the overall well being of an Alzheimer's patient. I plan to review some of that research in coming posts.

In the meantime, it is clear that many caregivers are at their breaking points and stretched to the limit with the burden of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. There are many informational resources aimed at helping these people but it is hard to imagine when they would have time to go online ad read them.

For what it is worth, I highlight today an article from WedMD about managing stress as a caregiver. My hope is that some might read it and gain a degree of control over their routine that might then allow them to benefit from additional resources.

I will be pleased if this is informative for the general readership and more so if it is personally helpful to those engaged in giving care. Let me know your thoughts.

1 comment :

  1. I was my mother's caregiver for many years--she had Parkinson's and later developed Alzheimer's. The last few years were in my home--while I was still raising three daughters. Yes, there was "caregiver stress." These aren't easy diseases, and I certainly had on the job training, but it is possible to educate yourself, learn, grow, and glean amazing insights about yourself as well as caring for another person.
    There are great resources out there now--more than ever--and each offers its own measure of hope.

    ~Carol O'Dell
    Author, Mothering Mother: A Daughter's Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir,
    www.mothering-mother.com

    ReplyDelete