Wednesday, February

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Caring for the caregivers

AFTER FIVE years of constantly caring for a loved one
with a dementia illness, it is not unusual for caregivers to

die before their patients die.

“Caregiving tends to take its
toll, not on the ill person, but on
the person who is giving the
care,*’ said North Shore Health’s
Dr. Nancy Hall during a Jan. 29
public forum on the subject.

“What happens is you end up
with two patients instead of oae,"*
she said.

No one really knows how many
people are taking care of family
members with Alzheimer's disease
and dementia-related  ilf!nesses
such as Parkinson’s and strokes
because family caregivers often do
not ask for outside support.

But according to the numbers
of known family caregivers, 3/4
are women and 2/3 live with the
person. they are caring for.

“Family members are the major
sources of support. It’s time we
acknowledged that and do what
we can to ma‘: things a little eas-
ier,” said Hat.

In an attempt to understand the

problems facing family caregivers,
North Shore Health recently con-
ducted interviews with 62 Worth
Shore people who give primary
‘care for a family member with
dementia.

The resulting report

the following information:
@ a caregiver’s average age was
62 (range 33-90), with the ill rela-
tive’s age likely to exceed 79;
@ about 60% of family caregivers
provided 24-hour care; 13%
received no help from anyone; the
rest received the bulk of help from
other family members;

included

By Anna Marie D'Angelo
News Reporter

@ the average caregiver was less
healthy than the norm for people
their age;

@ bcthersome betiaviors such as
the ill people doing embarrassing
things or becoming unwilling to
dress themselves created strong
burdens for half the caregivers;

@ caregivers are also bucdened by
feeling they have no time for
themselves and are stressed to
meet other responsibilities.

Another adult care speaker at
the forum, consultant Moyra
Jones, used a five-year Chicago
study to follow the stages of prob-
lems typical of some caregivers.

The study noted that during the
first year, the caregiver tends to
become ‘‘superwoman’’ or
*‘superman,” but by the second
year this ‘‘super’’ person is ex-
hausted and begins to take
medication for sleep or stress
problems.

Medical doctors were criticized
for not referring caregivers at this
stage to community health sup-
port services instead of just
treating the caregivers’ symptoms.

At three years, caregivers, who
are often elderly themselves,
become irritable and experience
great stress. Jones said at this
stage, elderly abuse may occur on
both sides.

By the fourth year, the

SPECIAL

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

APPROXIMATELY 40 people attended the public forum last week on caregiving to persons with

dementia-relaied illnesses.

caregiver feels unhealthy and
shows symptoms of chronic fa-
tigue and stress-related medicai
probiems such as ulcers. At this
stage, neighbors and other family
members may notice caregivers
cannot :nanage households.

By year five, some caregivers

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are isolated and become passive,
unable to ask for help; they con-
tinue to be unwell.

Support services available on
the North Shore for family
caregivers include adult daycare,
home support (to heip with

housekeeping) and home care
(nursing help. in the home). Per-
scnal counselling is currently be-
ing set up for home caregivers. . .

For more inforination call
North Shore Health at 983-6710.

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