What is Respite Care?
It is a little-known fact that the premature mortality rate of personal caregivers who are caring for their chronically ill spouse is 63 percent higher than non-caregivers due to the physical and mental stress involved. Caregivers who are providing over 36 hours of care a week to their loved one are six times more likely to experience depression and anxiety than those who aren’t. Family caregivers provide 80 percent of the long-term care provided in the United States. Thirty-eight percent of those caregivers are spouses. The average length of time a personal caregiver provides care to a loved one is 4.3 years. (Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing. New York University. College of Nursing.)
The stress and continual demands of care giving must be addressed by each family. Options for caregiver relief and support vary by family may be based on the abilities and availability of other people also provide care.
Leave a Comment June 25, 2012
