Caregiving for Later Life Adults

Family, friends, and neighbors are being asked more frequently to help elders who have trouble doing the tasks required for independent functioning. The phrase "eldercare" refers to complex, unpaid caregiving in various settings, such as the home, hospital, assisted living community, outpatient clinic, nursing home, and hospice. The range of care includes anything from offering emotional support to managing symptoms, taking care of finances, coordinating daily personal care, and advocating for better healthcare. It frequently entails serving as a substitute decision-maker for end-of-life care. This task is carried out by caregivers of the same generation (spouse/partner, siblings) and the following generation (offspring, in-laws, stepchildren). Caregivers can live with the care recipient or manage the situation remotely. 

Caregiving intensity and duration vary depending on the illness, with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias necessitating long-term care whereas stroke or early-stage cancer may just need a quick reaction over a short time. Heart failure or lung disease may necessitate periods of intensive care followed by stretches of steady function and decreased dependency. Care coordination, as well as medical and nursing duties that were formerly carried out by qualified healthcare professionals, are now expected of carers in our disjointed healthcare systems. They work without much guidance, supervision, or assistance. Even in the absence of assistance from a group of specialists and concerned bystanders, family caregivers remain successful. However, there are genuine health concerns for family caregivers that are more strongly correlated with how they feel about providing care than with the quantity and type of care they are giving. Stress results from a perceived lack of choice and the belief that expectations exceed one's knowledge and capabilities. 

Health risks faced by caregivers who feel fatigued - 

1. increased likelihood of suffering from severe sadness and anxiety
2. increased issues with one's health
3. Stressed-out spouse caregivers run a higher risk of passing away for any reason, particularly heart attack and stroke.
4. lowered ability to fight infections and sluggish wound healing
5. reduced capacity to control one's own and others' unpleasant emotions
6. Burnout and loss of identity among caregivers

In addition to health hazards, family caregivers may face financial hardship due to out-of-pocket costs and a decreased ability to fulfill employment obligations as a result of caregiving duties. The Family and Medical Leave Act does not provide unpaid leave for in-laws, siblings, stepchildren, etc., and current public policy does not offer most caregivers the option of paid leave.

A WORD FROM SOCIALLY SOULED

Remember that the needs and values of the majority of older persons should guide your actions on their behalf. Most elderly people are able to communicate their opinions and wants regarding their care, thus it is morally imperative to include them in talks to the extent that they are able to do so. Caregiving requires us to venture into unfamiliar territory, seek out to find resources and sources of support, and develop our capacity for comprehending suffering and coping with uncertainty. Families who provide care for others can acquire new and improved methods of interaction and problem-solving. Expectations regarding the roles and responsibilities of relationships are certain to be tested.

Caregivers can rediscover their own needs while creating resources to meet their commitments to important family ties with the help of experts and peer support.