LA Times on "Unseen, Unsung, Caregivers"; Struggle in the middle to tend to two lives one beginning and one ending

The Los Angeles Times tackles the "give and take of caregiving" in a thoughtful piece about taking care of seniors while still raising children. The article focuses on Lisa Wood, 44, who has a mother with Alzheimer's disease and a 5-year old daughter. Wood's story captures the difficulties faced by middle aged adults "sandwiched" by the needs of two generations and the toll it can take on family income, mental and physical health.

"There are times when I'm so stressed I know [my blood pressure] has to be high," says Wood. "I feel trapped sometimes; on the bad days I feel trapped."

Lisa's story is not unique. The Times' article noted that about 46 million American adults (or 1 in 6) doprovide informal care for an elderly or ill family member and these numbers are expected to "surge" in the coming decade driven by increasing cost of care and the aging baby boomer bubble.

While few caregivers will regret the time/effort given to their relatives, the personal cost can be great.

A 2003 study found that family members caring for those with dementia suffered suppressed levels of immunity for three years following their stint of caregiving, raising their risk of developing a chronic disease themselves. Other surveys have found that compared with the general population, caregivers — especially those with intensive caregiving demands and those already in fair or poor health — are less likely than their noncaregiving peers to attend to their own healthcare needs, less likely to exercise or see their doctor regularly and more likely to eat poorly and drink alcohol excessively.

For the 30% of caregivers who are elderly themselves, and hence more likely to be in frail health, the experience can actually be their undoing. A 1999 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. found that when a spousal caregiver with a history of chronic disease was under stress due to caregiving, he or she was 63% more likely to die during the study period than a peer without such caregiver responsibilities.

And depression is nearly epidemic among this population — more than half of family caregivers appear to suffer substantial depressive symptoms, says Kathleen Kelly, executive director of the Family Caregiving Alliance in San Francisco. In a recent survey of caregivers who identified themselves as being in fair or poor health at the outset of taking on duties, 91% suffered from clinical depression.

While public services are not nearly sufficient to handle all of the needs that does not mean that caregivers shouldn't look for available assistance. Caregivers contact their local Area Agency on Aging (AAA). AAAs are usually listed in the government sections of the telephone directory under "Aging" or "Social Services." A listing of state and area agencies on aging is also available online here.

The U.S. Department of Health Services (WomensHealth.gov) also has a free downloadable document (PDF) on caregiver stress.

Family Caregiver Alliance
Phone Number: (415) 434 3388
Internet Address: http://www.caregiver.org