Sun Sailor
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Guest Column by Deb Taylor
Our community is full of heroes facing a hidden crisis. It’s likely happening on your block, among your friends and colleagues at work, school and church.
Caregivers walk out a meaningful calling, helping care for a loved one when their needs are greatest. We see a caregiving child helping a parent. Often they live together, with the caregiving child working part-time because of the ever-present responsibilities. A spouse may be caring for an ailing husband or wife. We see adults caring for a friend or neighbor.
Here’s what we see in the community:
Statewide, 92 percent of long-term-care is provided by family or friends. Sixty-one percent of caregivers are women, most are middle-aged. Thirteen percent are aged 65 and older. Fifty-nine percent of informal caregivers have jobs, and one in four are age 45-64. More than half of employed women caregivers have made changes at work, such as going in late, leaving early, or working less.
Caregiving costs U.S. employers $34 billion annually, an average of $2,110 per employee.
These caregivers are motivated by compassionate hearts, but they may eventually face their own health crisis due to the emotional and physical strain of caregiving. It’s done out of love, but love cannot ward off exhaustion and stress forever.
You may become so concerned about a loved one’s condition that you become tense, worried and exhausted. Feelings of frustration and guilt grow out of caregiver loneliness because of their own lack of a social life.
Caregiving can lead to serious health problems due to long-term stress: depression, anxiety, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis. With a weaker immune system, the caregiver faces more sick days, weaker immune response to illness, higher levels of obesity and a higher risk for mental decline.
One research study found that elderly people who felt stressed while caring for their disabled spouses were 63 percent more likely to die within four years than caregivers who were not feeling stressed.
What to do? Remember the old jingle for McDonalds? “You deserve a break today.” Embrace it.
When you were a child, permission slips were given so you could go on school tours or leave school early for a doctor’s appointment. A parent or teacher had to sign these.
Now, you can sign your own. A caregiver needs to take a break from the constant care of a parent, spouse, or friend, but the permission has to come from you.
Help Awaits
Sure you need to arrange someone to fill in while you’re away, and that’s where Senior Community Services can help. We provide services that support independence and make life better for senior and caregiver. We can help with those physical chores around the house. Our social workers can help you better manage complex care. Our senior centers offer engaging programs and activities that seniors and their caregivers enjoy. And, we help find the best Medicare package at the best price for your needs, a big boon for seniors on fixed incomes.
Remember the joy of getting that permission slip as a kid? Pamper yourself with that same feeling of freedom when you need a break from your care responsibilities. It’ll make you better and more relaxed, so you can truly enjoy these final years with your loved one. It’s a great way to reimagine aging.
Deb Taylor is Chief Executive Officer of Senior Community Services in Minnetonka and the Reimagine Aging Institute. Since 1950, expert staff and volunteers have assisted seniors and those who care for them. For more information, visit seniorcommunity.org.
