Final blog post (Summary & Call to Action)

Family caregivers have an enormous job, one they are often unprepared for. As the need for caregivers increases, because of people living longer and an overburdened and ill-prepared long-term care system, support and training is more important than ever. Caregivers are at higher risk for physical and mental illnesses. Further, they are at risk for complicated grief and dying sooner than their non-caregiving peers. Caregivers need support and they need to know that they are not being selfish by taking care of themselves.

Health disparities exist among family caregivers in a variety of ways. Caucasian caregivers are more likely to report depression and African-American caregivers are more likely to have cardiovascular disease. Little is known about how culture affects health among minority caregivers. LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) elders and caregivers have unique needs that must be addressed.

Overall, I hope that readers of this blog get a sense of the issues that affect caregiver health. It should be shocking to readers that family caregivers provide care that is more than yearly Wal-Mart spending. Readers should want to learn more about caregiver health. My hope is that readers will realize that we are facing a looming caregiver health crisis and that public health educators are poised to help improve caregiver health. 

Controversial Issue: Placing your loved one in a long-term care facility

The choice to place a loved one in a long-term care facility is never an easy decision. However, culture, poor caregiver physical health, and complex emotions, grief and perceptions can complicate the decision. This post examines the ways in which these complications affect the decision to place the care recipient in long-term care.

Traditionally, family members have cared for elder family members. However, Western societies have been increasingly utilizing long-term care for elders. Culture plays a role in deciding to place an elder in long-term care because of the cultural expectations associated with the decision. In many Asian cultures, filial responsibility (the responsibility to provide care to loved ones at home) is expected (Ting & Woo, 2009). Anecdotally, this is the case with many members of Hispanic and African-American populations as well. However, filial responsibility can vary within cultures greatly. The decision to place a loved one in long-term care can be affected by the expectations and perceptions of the culture in which the caregiver and care recipient reside.

Caregivers are more likely to have depression, heart disease and diabetes than their non-caregiver counterparts (Family Caregiver Alliance, 2006). Caregivers report poor physical health more often than non-caregivers (Family Caregiver Alliance, 2006). The decision to place the care recipient in long-term care can be affected due to caregiver declining health.

Lastly, complex emotions, grief and perceptions can affect the decision to place in long-term care. Emotions such as guilt, anger, and shame are powerful. Grief, especially if complicated can serve to hinder the decision to place a loved one for long-term care. Further, the caregiver may perceive that the care recipient would not want to be in a long-term care facility or that they would somehow let down their family if they decide to use long-term care.

Caregivers would benefit from an intervention that helped to navigate difficult decision making such as placing the care recipient in long-term care. Ultimately, caregivers must be given tools and resources that guide their decision and have an outlet for complicated issues that may dissuade them from making the appropriate choice to place. Health educators are uniquely suited to provide decision-making tools and resources while improving physical health outcomes at the same time.

References:

Family Caregiver Alliance. (2006). Caregiver health: A population at risk. Retrieved from https://caregiver.org/caregiver-health

Ting, G., & Woo, J. (2009). Elder care: Is legislation of family responsibility the solution? Asian Journal of Gerontology & Geriatrics, 4, 72-75. 

Strategy Presentation

This was my  lesson plan presentation I completed in class on Saturday, November 8, 2014. I had a few glitches: 1) I was just coming back from a 3 day conference in San Antonio and I wasn't as prepared as I would have liked to be; 2) my phone died after 30 seconds due to no space and the first minute of the presentation was missed; and 3) I always get a little nervous presenting in front of my colleagues. I have to mentally put myself in the teaching mindset. As long as I am teaching, I do not get so nervous.

I'm very thankful to a classmate who was able to help me upload this video to my blog as I tried for days without success.

Overall, lesson planning is something I am very comfortable with and I felt the presentation went well.

Advocacy needed for LGBT caregivers and care recipients

Caregivers are an essential part of care plans for older adults, providing $450 billion worth of unpaid care each year (Croghan, 2014). Traditionally, caregivers have often been the spouses or biological children of the care recipient. However, this model is becoming outdated and not the most appropriate model for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Advocacy for LGBT caregivers and care recipients is needed for a number of reasons. They include:

 1)       Research has shown that LGBT individuals are less likely to have children, making the choice and availability of a caregiver a concern in the LGBT community (Cantor, 2004).

 2)      LGBT individuals are more likely to rely on non-family members for care (Canter, 2004; Croghan, 2014).

 3)      LGBT middle-aged and older adults are almost twice as likely as the general population to be caregivers and more than twice as likely to be non-family caregivers (Croghan, 2014).

 4)       More LGBT older adults live alone and cannot identify a caregiver than heterosexual older adults. This makes them more susceptible to earlier institutionalized care. (Croghan, 2014). Lack of unpaid leave to care for a loved one under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a concern for the LGBT community. Only a few states recognize leave for non-family caregivers and there are still quite a few states where non-heterosexual people cannot legally marry (Croghan, 2014). This impacts the health of both the caregiver and the care recipient. Caregiving is a tough but rewarding role for both heterosexual and LGBT caregivers. However, further advocacy is needed to ensure that all caregivers and care recipients receive equal treatment and equal benefits.

References

Cantor, M. H., Brennan, M., & Shippy, R. A. (2004). Caregiving among older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender New Yorkers. New York, NY: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute.

Croghan, C. (2014). What’s different about LGBT informal caregiving? Retrieved from http://www.asaging.org/blog/whats-different-about-lgbt-informal-caregiving

Depression and Anxiety Relief: Use Social Networking Sites! Radio PSA

Depression and Anxiety Relief: Use Social Networking Sites! Radio PSA script

Use:  Immediate

Time:  30 seconds

Agency:  National Alliance for Caregiving

Title:  Depression and Anxiety Relief: Use Social Networking Sites!

Do you provide care for a loved one? Do you know someone who does? Protect yourself from depression and anxiety by spending more time on social networking sites.

Caregivers often find they do not have time for or live in rural areas that limit use of face-to-face caregiver support classes. Social networking sites allow caregivers to engage on their own time and in their own way.

Caregivers who spend over 3 hours a week on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest have lower rates of depression and anxiety.

Start spending more time on social networking sites and reduce your risk of depression and anxiety.

Brought to you on behalf of the National Alliance for Caregiving.

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References

Asbury, T., & Myers, N. L. (2014). Therapeutic potential of social networking sites for caregivers. Psychology Research, 4(9), 749-753. 

Hi! I'm Laura. I'm a doctoral student in Health Studies at Texas Woman's University. I am passionate about caregiver health. During my Master's of Public Health Internship, I completed an internship marketing a free online caregiver support group pilot testing in Idaho. Shortly after that, my father became ill and I moved from another state to live with my mom for a couple months as she prepared to care for my father. My mother served as my father's primary caregiver for four months from the time he left the rehabilitation hospital to his death. Caregivers are often not prepared for their new role. I will explore issues concerning caregiver mental and physical health, support networks, health literacy, advocacy and policy. Join me on this adventure to caring for our caregivers.