PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (PSA)

PSA:  FINANCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSES AND CAREGIVERS OF DISABLED CHILDREN

Format:  Radio

Background Noise:  Office sounds—printer, phones ringing, low chatter.

Jo:                    Hey, Annie, the rest of the girls are planning to go out after work on Friday, wanna go?

Annie:             That sounds great, Jo, but I have to work extra Friday night.  I have to take Nathan to the doctor next week so I’ll miss some work, and I need to make it up.

Jo:                    Aww, can’t you just take some vacation time?

Annie:             That would be nice!  But I’ve already used up what I had.  Remember when Nathan had some problems at school last month?

Jo:                    Can’t you come?  You look like you could use a couple of drinks.  C’mon, maybe you could just cut a couple of hours pay this week.

Annie:             No way!  I haven’t gotten a child support check in two months.  Nathan’s afterschool sitter is so expensive, and I’m afraid to get behind on the rent. 

Jo:                    Wow, Annie, I’m sorry.  We’ll miss you.

Annie:             I’ll miss going.  I sure could use a break!!     

Announcer:     Recent research confirms that the stresses associated with caring for children with a disability affect caregivers’ ability to provide quality care for their children.  The study, conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University, and the University of Arkansas, used data from the 2010 Ohio Family Health Survey to examine factors such as health care coverage, access to care, utilization of healthcare, and unmet needs. 

                        The study found that 12.3% of all children had a disability, and their caregivers tended disproportionately to be single mothers, with lower education and incomes. 

More than twice as many caregivers of disabled children suffered from serious psychological distress as caregivers of nondisabled children.    Additionally, caregivers of children with a disability were twice as likely to have high levels of financial stress, and almost three and a half times as likely to have both high levels of financial stress and very high levels of psychological stress.

Goudie, A., Narcisse, M-R., Hall, D.E., and Kuo, D.Z. (2014).  Financial and psychological stressors associated with caring for children with a disability.  Families, Systems & Health, 32, 3, 280-290.

 

Facts and Figures

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), “we need to help current at-risk caregivers so that they can continue to provide care to family and friends without sacrificing their health, financial security, and quality of life in the process” (NAC, 2005, p. 32).

Who does the caregiving?

*More than 34 million unpaid caregivers care for ill or disabled people aged 18+ (CDC, 2011).

*90% of long-term care is provided by unpaid caregivers (CDC, 2011).

*21% of households in the U.S. have caregiving responsibilities (CDC, 2011).

What do caregivers do?

*79% of caregivers take care of someone 50 or more years old (NAC, 2005, p. 10).

*20% of caregivers take care of someone 18-49 years old (NAC, 2005, p. 10). Of these, 23% care for someone who is mentally ill (NAC, 2005, p. 11).

*50% of caregivers help perform personal care Activities of Daily Living, such as dressing or getting out of bed (NAC, 2005, pp. 14-15).

How are caregivers affected?

*35% of caregivers experience emotional stress as a result of caregiving (NAC, 2005, p. 2).  

*51% of caregivers lose time with friends and family; 44% give up vacations, hobbies and social time, and 26% get less exercise than when they were not caregivers (NAC, 2005, p. 21).

How do they cope?

*Strategies used for coping with stress include prayer, talking with friends or relatives, reading or seeking information on the Internet about caregiving, exercising, talking to a counselor, and taking medication (NAC, 2005, p. 20).

What do they need?

*Caregivers expressed a need for help with finding time for self, balancing work and family responsibilities, managing emotional and physical stress, and finding easy activities to do with the person they care for (NAC, 2005, p. 26).

References

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2011). Family caregiving: the facts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/aging/caregiving/facts.htm.

The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) (2005). Caregiving in the U.S. Retrieved from http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/us_caregiving_1.pdf.

Caregivers and Depression

A father seeks help for his mentally disabled adult son. As he talks about the situation, tears begin to spill out of the corners of his eyes. His wife has diabetes and heart problems so she cannot handle the stress of caring for her son. She lives with her daughter. The father, who works a 12 hour shift at a plant, has built a little apartment on the back of his house so his son will have a place to stay, but the son keeps him awake all night playing loud music. The father says that sometimes he becomes "sentimental" when thinking about his son. He is sad that his son has not been able to achieve the life he wanted for him, and fearful of what will happen to his son as he, the father, ages.

In an article on the Caregiver Action Network website, Pat Kaufman notes that when a family member is ill, attention is usually focused on the ill person, placing caregivers in a "uniquely difficult position" (Kaufman, 2014). Kaufman says that as caregivers start to understand the changes in their own lives and realize the extent of their duties, they can develop emotions ranging from anger and resentment, to sadness and lack of enjoyment in life (Kaufman, 2014).

When caregivers feel angry or sad, it is important to realize that these emotions are not selfish. Rather, they are a sign that the body or the person is overwhelmed. Like a warning light, it is important to heed these signs and seek help before the depression becomes unmanageable. Treatment options can include simply being more vocal and seeking help from others, or forming or joining a support group. For those who are isolated by their caregiving circumstances, web-based support groups are an option. Some people may also benefit from talking to their primary care physician about temporary medication.

When caring for someone we love, taking care of ourselves can feel selfish. But only by spending time taking care of our own mental and physical health needs can we best preserve our ability to give more to our family member when the need arises.

Kaufman, P. (2014). Caregivers and depression. In Caregiver Action Network (website). Retrieved from 

     http://www.caregiveraction.org/profiles/tools/caregivers-and-depression/.