Caregiving 101 What Dont I Know About Caregiving

Caregiving 101 What Don’t I Know About Caregiving?

Introductions • Hannan Foundation • Partners • Next Shift History • Taking a poll

Assess Your Situation IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS: 1. How many hours have you spent assisting an aging friend or family member with errands (grocery shopping, transportation, pharmacy, bank, etc. )? 2. How many times did you have to cancel or change your personal plans because an aging loved one required your assistance? 3. How many hours have you spent worrying about an aging friend or family member? 4. How many times have you had to adjust your work schedule because of an aging loved one? 5. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not at all and 10 being completely, how prepared do you feel to take care of an aging loved one right now? 6. If you suddenly became ill and could not be available for your loved one, who would take your place? And for how long? And in what capacity?

What is Caregiving? • Who is considered a caregiver? • What does it look like? • “Caregiving is the act of providing assistance to individuals who are no longer able to perform tasks on their own due to physical, mental, or safety concerns. ” • “Caregiving is the act of providing unpaid assistance and support to family members or acquaintances who have physical, psychological, or developmental needs. Caring for others generally takes on three forms: instrumental, emotional, and informational caring. ” Let’s see: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ct 9 hs. GPb_6 k https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=tgq. Ug 9 x 5 c. Vg https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=i. ZJZSDvluv. Y https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=q 1 ro. GFt-f. V 4 https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=WJUyfrs. JDCY

Types of Caregivers • Paid Caregivers: -Those who get paid to provide care to others -Often work for health care companies, nursing facilities, etc. -Caregiving is their job/career and they receive training • Traditional Unpaid Family/Friend Caregiver: -Traditional caregivers provide at home, hands on care -Can be live in 24/7 care or can be ongoing daily supervision -May assist with personal care, general health care, mobility assistance, and emotional support Examples: bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, medication administration, help with the transferring in out of a wheelchair, shower, or car, providing stability support while walking, providing support and companionship in personal, emotional, and health related matters.

Types of Caregivers • Overseer: -May still provide occasional hands on care for their loved one, but it is not on a daily basis -Generally provides care to an individual who is living at home on their own or in a facility -Visit or call the individual to check in and provide some non-physical assistance • Potential Duties: - Helping with grocery shopping, meal prepping - Communicating with facility staff regarding care being given - Running errands, driving to and from activities, or scheduling transportation - Reminders about appointments, potentially helping plan out a week's worth of medications - Helping with finances, providing companionship, check-ins, and monitoring for changes -Making medical or legal decisions for loved one Video: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=FF 7 Xw. KDTN 7 c

Types of Caregivers • Long-Distance Caregiver: -Someone who is caregiving for an individual that lives over an hour away -Live on average 480 miles from the individual they care for and spend an average of 4 hours in travel time per visit -Often feels guilt or frustration due to their limited ability to help • Potential Duties: -Money Management -Arranging in home care -Providing respite for the in home caregiver -Coordinating information such as appointments -Learning and helping others understand care options -Scheduling transportation and services -Emotional support for family members

Types of Caregiving • Secondary Caregiving: -Not primarily responsible for direct care, but is in someway connected to the primary caregiver -Can be a secondary caregiver to their spouse, family members, friends, and co-workers -Is in some ways a caregiver by default • Potential Duties: -Providing emotional support to the caregiver -Filling in for the primary caregiver as a form of unofficial respite care -Planning and organizing services, appointments, living arrangements, etc -Managing daily family and household needs for the caregiver

Physical and Emotional Effects of Caregiving • Depression and anxiety • Stress and frustration • Harmful behaviors • Health issues • Self-neglect • Increased mortality • Caregiver Stress Syndrome • Burden “Caregiver burden is defined as the strain a person who cares for a chronically ill, disabled, or elderly family member experiences. This ‘burden’ is a response to the physical, psychological, emotional, social, and financial stressor associated with caregiving. ”

Unexpected Effects of Caregiving • Family relationships are challenged • Social life changes • Unplanned expenses • Caregiving impacts work productivity, career goals, and retirement Video: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=c. DVw 16 REw. H 8

Benefits of Caregiving ● Positive experiences from caregiving: -A sense of giving back to someone who has cared for them -The satisfaction of knowing their loved one is being properly cared for -Personal growth and increased meaning and purpose in their own life -Improved relationship with loved one -Spending quality time with a loved one in the later stages of their lives ● Continued Benefits ▪ exercise: bending, lifting and walking are physical benefits to caregiving ▪ stamina and strength ▪ improved cognitive abilities and critical thinking skills ▪ awareness of resources, long term care options, caregiving challenges for themselves or other loved ones Video: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=I 0 yh. Vt 2 WAi. Q

The Unexpected • The role is usually not anticipated • Performing caregiving duties regularly, but do not identify as caregivers • Caregiving roles are typically due to an unforeseen illness or an injury of a loved one that escalates • Unpaid caregivers receive no formal training so many tasks they inherit are new to them • No prior discussions regarding future financial and healthcare planning • Community resources and services are complex and difficult to navigate • Past family issues may become more complicated, new issues may arise • “Juggling” becomes nearly impossible as the journey goes on • Confusing emotions emerge

Impact Time Frame: • The average duration of a caregiver’s role is 4 years • 30% of caregivers provide care for less than a year • 24% of caregivers provide care for more than 5 years • 15% of caregivers provide care for 10 or more years

Impact Daily and Work Life: • 24. 4 hours per week providing care. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers spends 41 hours or more per week providing care. • 70% of working caregivers suffer work-related difficulties due to their dual roles • 69% of working caregivers caring for a family member or friend report having to rearrange their work schedule, decrease their hours, or take an unpaid leave in order to meet their caregiving responsibilities • Regardless of employment status, unpaid caregivers report that positive activities in their respective daily lives are reduced by 27. 2% as a result of their caregiving responsibilities • 10 million caregivers aged 50+ who care for their parents lose an estimated $3 trillion in wages, pensions, retirement funds, and benefits • Estimates show that between 40 to 70% of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression, with approximately one quarter to one half of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression

How We Can Help • Staff -Licensed Masters level social workers with training, experience and passion for older adults and their caregivers • Services -Education -Situation evaluation -Priority planning and organizing -Community resource navigation and referral -Connection to emotional, mental and family support -Partnership for legal guidance -Advocacy -Support and understanding -Ongoing assistance throughout the journey

How to Contact Us • Website: www. nextshiftdetroit. com • Phone: (313) 833 -1210 • Facebook: Next Shift Facebook community group -Discussion opportunities -Articles and data related to caregiving -Dates of upcoming workshops and events -Moderated by LMSWs -Support and information from fellow caregivers

Questions, Comments, Encouragements Stay Postive, Keep Going! https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=t-Hdbe. Ch 8 MY