Good Wishes in form of prayers like “God bless you with a healthy wealthy life” at a point portrays no co-ordination but it’s very true that without good health life cannot be enjoyed. Any kind of illness needs two kinds of support for early recovery. One is the pharmacological support through the medicines and the other is moral support or caretaking which is provided by an informal caregiver. The former is available easily and is accessible, but the availability of the latter is rare.
The reason behind it, is the fast pace of the world where nobody finds time for others with a true spirit. Only the fortunate and the blessed ones tend to be the caregivers. Most of the time, these caregivers too pass through difficult times because taking the responsibility as a caretaker is a full time job. Therefore, one has to forget himself in order to fulfill the commitment.
It is seen that in most of the families, there comes a time when a family member gets into the sick role. The whole family is affected in one way or the other and someone, usually a woman has to take the responsibility for the sick member. According to National Statistics of Informal Care giving Relationships in the United States (2000) as cited in Scott (2006) most caregivers are women (61%) aged 50-61 years (30%). Nine years ago my grandmother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and dementia.
It was the time when we had a terrible go. The key figure in my family was my mother. She was the one who was responsible to take care of my grandmother from dawn till dusk with sleepless nights often. She had to bare all the responsibilities along with her job, house chores and finally an ill family member to look after.
At first people come up with comments like “You’ll be rewarded a hundred times more for your services”, but then a series of suggestions, that leaves the caregiver in a state of confusion. The confidence is shattered in just a blow developing a state of mind, where taking decisions becomes a matter of life and death. Suddenly the smooth road looks like a difficult mountain ahead with no way out. The daily unchanged routine then leads to frustration and fatigue because others around take it for granted, that whatever is to be done is the responsibility of the caretaker, this is where the dedication and emotional approach declines like anything.
Research conducted by Carretero, Garce’s, Ro’denas, and Sanjose (2009) indicates that informal care has been conceptualized as a vital stress factor event which has been associated with the negative repercussions on the physical and psychological well-being of the informal caregiver. Unchanged pattern at times develop the feeling of depression leading to multiple problems with the caregiver itself. The cultural and ethical constraints tend to make life worse for the caretakers. People around would never like to give their time and support but are readily available with their unjust criticism.
With all the negative waves taking over the positive ones, a caretaker ends up saying no to any possibility of support available even for a while as they prefer to be left alone rather than the selfish involvement. If all this continues, a time will come when people will prefer to leave their dear ones in nursing homes or they will be left in nursing homes and unsafe hands, ultimately ending up with emotional imbalance and delayed cure. On one hand, getting back onto the track is not an easy task and at times leads to total destruction ending up in a mess.On the other hand Carretero, Garce’s, Ro’denas, and Sanjose (2009) suggest that caregiver burden can be alleviated by means of two types of mediators: the strategies of coping which includes willpower and resilience and social support.
The will power of the caretaker plays a vital role because only this helps the person to develop a positive attitude and motivates them towards the fulfillment of the responsibility. Certain measures may help to overcome these traumas and rather encourage them to leave no stone unturned during this period. Involvement of family members plays a significant role during this crucial period. This can be achieved by changing roles so as to provide a break for vitality to the caretaker.
Frequent constructive visits, E-mails or phone calls by the family members for appreciation or giving their time to listen to the problems and concerns so as to allow the caregivers to feel lightened, can also be of a great help. Counseling sessions for care takers during their visits with their patients to the hospitals or clinics for follow-ups can right away identify the strain and problems and help could be offered to them immediately. This could be best done by the nurses who can offer emotional support along with listening ears so that the caretakers could easily vent off their feelings. This can also help in providing guidance by nurses for specific management of particular areas of needs.
Social welfare institutions can train volunteers or paid persons to take over the responsibilities once a month so that the caretaker may also breathe fresh air. Welfare institutions facilitate the hospital instruments on rent which can lessen down the burden by providing special machine care in place of manual workload. This can reduce the physical strain which develops gradually because of the stress. Formation of a caregiver interest group can also be a useful strategy where exchange of ideas and sharing of problems and frustrations can take place along with learning from the experiences of each other.
Moreover, media can also play a vital role by highlighting the problems faced by the caregivers and strategies to overcome caregiver role strain through radio and television programs. This would enhance the physical, mental and social well being of the caregivers and portray them as role models for others. In conclusion, caring for sick at home is a tough job, but the reward and internal satisfaction associated with it could be cherished throughout the life. It also spreads the fragrance around with the lesson to sprout and flourish in spite of deforestation.
Scott (2006) states that physical demands of giving care, prolonged stress, burden of responsibilities along with biological vulnerabilities like aging can lead to a number of health problems as well as early death for the informal caregivers. Keeping this in mind, it is our duty to protect the physical and psychological well-being of these informal caregivers and help them in whatever capacities so as to make their experiences as everlasting for them.
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