A caregiver is someone whose life is in some way restricted by the need to be responsible for the care of someone who is mentally ill, mentally handicapped, physically disabled or whose health is impaired by sickness or old age. The UK government defines caregivers or carers as:
• People who – unpaid – look after and support family members, friends or neighbours in need of help because of long-term physical or mental illness or disability or problems related to old age.
• People who provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis for a disabled person living at home.
The importance of this issue is highlighted by TEDMED as one of the main global challenges. The reason for this move is driven by the fact that unpaid caregivers (65 million in the US alone) struggle with significant psychological and health issues and economical burden.
The issue of caregivers is broad and complex. In order to better understand its scope and main objectives, I strongly recommend to read this comprehensive report by National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). For those of us who don’t have the time/energy to read the full report here is its summary and conclusions.
Caregivers are a diverse group. Their caregiving experiences range from those that are relatively easy to manage, to those that are burdensome. We know that most caregivers today are able to fulfill this role without experiencing overwhelmingly negative physical, emotional, or financial consequences. On the other hand, caregivers with the heaviest responsibilities are vulnerable to risks such as a decline in health, emotional stress, and economic hardship. As the baby boom generation ages over the next 25 years, the numbers of people needing care will swell. The numbers of younger people available to provide care are likely to dwindle. This suggests that in the future, caregivers will be older, on average, than today’s caregivers and may have greater infirmity of their own. In addition, the younger people who step into a caregiving role in the future may perceive they have less choice about becoming a caregiver. A greater share of caregivers may provide care to two or more care recipients. The future may bring some positive changes as well. In particular, we are likely to see an expansion of the use of technologies that are already available to caregivers and recipients, as well as the development of new technologies. It is important to recognize that the nearly 66 million caregivers are a critical extension of our formal health care system. Without their efforts, there would be a shift of recipients into public programs such as Medicaid, and the quality of life and the health status of many who need care would decline. It is important to do all we can to support caregivers so they can continue in their roles. Specifically, it is important to:
1) Identify and help caregivers who are most at risk for deteriorating health, financial security, and quality of life so that they can continue to provide care while maintaining their own well-being
2) Identify and advocate for programs that make a real difference in caregivers’ well being and in their ability to continue providing care
3) Identify and promote the use of technologies that can facilitate caregiving
4) Extend the reach of caregiver programs to all caregivers regardless of the age of their care recipient
5) Encourage families to plan proactively for aging and potential health/disability issue
By all means it is time to promote this burning issue!
Amir Tal, PhD 