Caregivers of Old People

Caregivers are people who take care of elderly people. Popular belief is that many elderly are in nursing homes. Actually only about 5% of the elderly population is actually in a nursing home. Almost 90% of elderly people are taken care of by their family members. Caregivers manage medications, talk to doctors, help bathe and dress them, and take care of bills, chores, and meals. Most patients become increasingly helpless. This causes a great toll on the caregiver because of watching the physical decline of their loved one. This can become overwhelming without support. Caregivers can have caregiver burnout. Caregiver burnout includes feeling depressed, constant fatigue, decreased interest in work and work production, withdrawal from social contact, increased use of drinking, feeling of helplessness and change of eating patterns. There are several treatment programs for caregivers. In 1965 the National Caregiver Support Program was created. This program authorizes funds for nutrition services, caregiver support, caregiver training, prevention strategies, counseling, group support, respite services, disease prevention and health promotion activities.

Caregivers receive education tailored to the patient and their appropriate treatment needs. Psychotherapy can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Caregivers can experience depression. Psychotherapy helps enhance morale, self esteem, coping and the sense of control for the caregiver. In psychotherapy caregivers go through cognitive reframing. Cognitive reframing is the change of negative assumptions and thoughts to promote adaptive behavior. People who go through cognitive reframing are shown to have less stress and less likely to have depression. Individual counseling can be helpful as well by being designed to help support, receive education, problem solving and coping skills.

Support groups are meetings that consist of people going through similar situations. The groups are there to provide caregivers with a safe place to share emotions and experiences, seek and give advice, and exchange information. Support groups provide necessary social contact and recreation to meet family needs. They provide information about work programs and activities for elderly people.