Learn More about Healthy Caregiving with Sage!

The SageStories videos showcase four characters and illustrate many of the concepts of healthy caregiving. These characters include:

• Sage, an older adult who is a caregiver for Bill, her husband.
• Bill, an older adult who has had a stroke, and is married to Sage.
• Katie, a younger woman who is married to Derek.
• Derek, a returning soldier from the current conflict who received a traumatic brain injury as well as an injury to his hand. He is married to Katie.

Watch the three videos and learn about healthy caregiving from Sage.

Read the information provided below for more information about healthy caregiving.

Who is a caregiver?

A caregiver provides support and assistance to another person

Caregiver is a broad term, and may be used in many different ways to describe many different people in many different stages of life. Some people prefer the term caretaker; others use care partner. All of these terms refer to a similar concept. Generally, the terms describe a person who provides direct care for another person, whether that is a child, older adult, person with a disability, or person with a chronic or terminal illness.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has a specific definition that defines a caregiver as "a person who provides support and assistance with various activities to a family member, friend, or neighbor. May provide emotional or financial support, as well as hands-on help with different tasks. Caregiving may also be done from long distance.”

Why do caregivers need to stay healthy while providing care?

Caregiving is complex. Just as the needs of the person for whom care is being provided may differ from day to day, the caregiving experience may also differ. Caregivers may sometimes spend so much time and energy on the other person that they can let their own needs fall to the wayside. Paying attention to health is an important task for everyone, but caregivers need to take care of their own health, both physical and emotional, in order to continue providing care for their family member, relative, or friend. Health is defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity...

This means that being healthy is more than not being sick. Being healthy includes a positive sense of well-being. Caregiving can be rewarding; it can also be stressful. Stress may contribute to a less than optimal state of physical, emotional, or social well-being. Think about stress as a strain on physical, emotional, and social well-being that may contribute to poor health.

Managing stress may be hard for caregivers, but it is important for individual health and well-being. There are strategies for managing stress that caregivers may find helpful. Every individual caregiver is different, but there are several key areas to consider that may offer assistance.

Physical Activity

Regular physical activity may help caregivers maintain their own physical fitness and strength for tasks that may be demanding at times. It can also help the caregiver to maintain their physical health in order to better care for their care recipient.

Health Care, Social Service, and Community Providers

Many people in the community can help caregivers stay healthy. Following is a list of just a few professionals who may be able to help caregivers.

Health Care Providers

Physicians may help caregivers stay healthy

Counselors/Mental Health Professionals: Managing stress is an important part of our health throughout our lives. Talking with someone about the frustrations--and joys--of being a caregiver can help to manage stress. Having someone to talk with about your situation may also be a method of managing your stress.

Occupational Therapists: Occupational therapy (OT) may help a caregiver with medical problems, diseases, injuries, or other health-related conditions. OT may help caregivers become or stay independent in activities that are important in their day-to-day lives. Depending upon the needs of an individual caregiver, an occupational therapy session may involve exercise, home assessments, leisure education, equipment and device training, and education for other family members.

Physical Therapists: Physical therapy (PT) is a health-related profession that helps to improve or restore mobility and may offer an alternative to surgery and/or pain medication for caregivers. A physical therapist may also put together a fitness- and wellness-oriented program to meet the specific needs of a caregiver. Sessions with a physical therapist may involve exercise, balance activities, training on walking and transferring from one place to another, massage, the use of heat or cold, or other techniques that improve movement.

Physicians: Physicians vary in terms of their areas of expertise and may include general practice, family practice, internal medicine, and specialty areas such as geriatrics, among others. A physician may help a caregiver connect with other physicians who provide services for hearing, vision, sleep disorders, mental health, dental care, and other needs that caregivers may have.

Speech Language Pathologists: Speech-language pathologists may help caregivers who have speech, language, cognitive-communication, and/or swallowing disorders.

Social Service Providers

Attorney-at-Law: An attorney-at-law is a licensed lawyer who provides legal advice and prepares, manages, and tries cases. It is possible to find attorneys who specialize in elder law or who focus on representing people with disabilities. An attorney may help a caregiver with end-of-life decisions, and he or she can be helpful in terms of guardianship and related issues.

Caseworkers: Caseworkers may also be called care workers or care managers. They may be helpful to caregivers as they may help determine needs and create an overall plan. They also may coordinate services that could be useful to the caregiver. Caseworkers may be self-employed or they may work for nonprofit or governmental agencies or for-profit businesses. In terms of background, caseworkers are often nurses or social workers.

Ombudsman: An ombudsman is a representative of a public agency or a private nonprofit organization who advocates for other people. Ombudsmen can be helpful to caregivers who have complaints about care received in long-term care facilities.

Community Providers

Faith-based organizations may offer free meals or groceries, as well as other helpful services for caregivers

Faith-Based Organizations: A faith-based organization may be sponsored by or affiliated with a church or other religious entity. These organizations may offer programs and services in the community that could be of assistance to caregivers. Examples include free meals or groceries, day care services, and respite.

National Organizations: Many national organizations have a specific focus or interest. These organizations may promote awareness, raise funds, or be involved in advocacy. Often, local chapters are part of the national umbrella, and they may offer opportunities for caregivers to acquire information, to network, and to access services. Examples include the American Red Cross and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Senior Centers: Senior centers located in many communities typically offer a variety of programs that could be beneficial to care recipients. Examples of services include nutrition programs, health, fitness, and wellness programs, transportation services, and social and recreational activities.

Support Groups: A support group comprises people who come together because of a common bond and who share challenges and experiences. Support groups for caregivers may be general, or they may be focused on caregivers who have a care recipient with a particular disease (such as Alzheimer's). Support groups may be sponsored by social service agencies, senior centers, religious organizations, and other community providers.

Home Modifications

Modifications in the bathroom may help ease caregiving tasks

Universal Design: The concept of universal design promotes designing all products and environments in a way that makes them easier for people in all stages of life to use. Examples of universal design might include widened doorways to accommodate someone using a wheelchair. Doors have lever handles rather than knobs, making them easier to open. Stairs and thresholds inside and outside the home are eliminated or minimized.

Assistive Technology: Assistive technology includes the use of tools or devices that make activities of daily living easier for both the caregiver and care recipient. Examples range from zipper pulls, grab bars, and reaching tools to adapted kitchen tools. Physical and occupational therapists and other healthcare providers are a good place to start when asking about assistive technology. Some items may be found in local department stores and pharmacies or online.

Nutrition

Planning and preparing nutritious meals may sometimes be challenging for caregivers because time and energy may be in short supply on certain days. Maintaining good nutrition, or eating right, is important to provide the caregiver the proper nutrients and energy that caregiving requires.

Recreation

Caregivers may overlook recreation because they don’t feel as if they have time for a hobby or for time away from caregiving. Sometimes, they may feel guilty about spending time away from their tasks. Recreation may provide the caregiver with a physical and emotional break from their regular activities.

Respite

For some caregivers, caregiving may be an everyday affair. Just like with recreational activity, respite provides the caregiver with a break and time away from caregiving duties. Taking an occasional trip or weekend away may provide much-needed rest for the caregiver. Family, friends, or human service professionals agree to take on caregiving responsibilities to provide the caregiver with time away.

Summary

This article has provided information about ways that caregivers can help take care of themselves. Follow Sage's advice and take care of yourself!

More Information

Visit the eXtension learning lessons:

• The LiveAbility House

• The Healthy Caregiver

References:

• American Bar Association (n.d.). Glossary. Attorney-at-law. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.abanet.org/publiced/glossary_a.html.
• American Occupational Therapy Association. (n.d.). About Occupational Therapy. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.aota.org/featured/area6/index.asp.
• American Physical Therapy Association. (n.d.) Why a PT? Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.moveforwardpt.com/why-a-pt/.
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d). Fact Sheet for Speech-Language Pathology. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.asha.org/careers/professions/slp.htm.
• Beers, M. H. (Ed.). (2006). The Merck Manual of Health and Aging. New York: Ballantine.
• Carter, R. (1997). Remarks of Rosalynn Carter, Honorary Chair of Last Acts. Posted to Gifts of Speech, http://gos.sbc.edu/c/carter.html. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
• Mace, R.L., Hardie, G.J., & Place, J.P. (n.d.) Accessible Environments: Toward Universal Design. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.ncsu.edu/www/ncsu/design/sod5/cud/pubs_p/docs/ACC%20Environments.pdf.
• Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary. (2011). Stress. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stress.
• National Council on Aging. (n.d.). Senior Centers: Fact Sheet. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.ncoa.org/press-room/fact-sheets/senior-centers-fact-sheet.html.
• Sellers, D.M. & Dittman, E. (2008). Fashion an Easier Lifestyle with Assistive Technology. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/hlsaf2/MF2837.pdf.
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (November 12, 2003). Glossary of Terms. Caregiver. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/diction.shtml.
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (November 12, 2003). Glossary of Terms. Case Management. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/diction.shtml.
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (November 12, 2003). Glossary of Terms. Health. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/diction.shtml.
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (November 12, 2003). Glossary of Terms. Ombudsman. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/diction.shtml.
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (November 12, 2003). Glossary of Terms. Support Groups. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/diction.shtml.
• YourDictionary. (n.d.). Faith-based. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.yourdictionary.com/faith-based.

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