In the past, measuring caregiver stress was done by looking directly to the level of care required. Under this school of thought, the more daily activities that have to be done by a caregiver, the more stress the caregiver is under. Recently, as abuse by caregivers has received more attention, studies are finding much more goes into causing caregiver stress.
Caregiver stress is not only linked to abuse, but also illness and death of the caregiver. The “Caregiver Health Effects Study” by Schulz and Beech in 1999 showed that caregivers who experienced high levels of stress were 63% more likely to die within the next four years than non-caregivers of the same age.
More attention is being given to the emotional element of caregiving now than in years previous. For example, under the old school of thought, caring for a dementia patient would be the most stressful when the caregiver had to bathe, dress, feed and provide inconvenience care at the end stages of the disease. Recent studies show that the middle stage of the disease is actually the most stressful.
In the early stages of dementia, caregivers often have to handle money management, estate planning, driving, shopping and similar tasks. As the disease progresses into the middle ground, many patients begin engaging in dangerous and disruptive behavior, such as wandering, aggressiveness, undressing, and other inappropriate behaviors. Especially for family caregivers, this phase is often the most emotionally exhausting. As the disease moves into the late phases, there tends to be more quiet time, allowing the caregiver periods of respite and sleep.
Lastly, premorbid and postmorbid relationships play a significant role in caregiver stress. The premorbid relationship is the relationship the caregiver and elder had before the illness or disability required care. The postmorbid is the relationship after the care began. Simply put, if the caregiver and the care receiver had a strained relationship at any time in their past, the stress for the caregiver will be much higher than if the pair had a healthy, loving relationship prior to the role of caregiver became needed.
With these facts in mind, if you are considering choosing a family member to care for an aging parent or grandparent, it is important to discuss the specific disabilities or diseases with a professional and give the relationship a serious consideration before choosing home care over nursing home care.
