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Caregivers' health at risk due to stress - new study from the American Psychological Association.

Caregivers Under Fire

In 2011, the first of the Baby Boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) turned 65, joining the ranks of America’s older citizens. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging, the number of older Americans in the U.S. — persons 65 years or older — is expected to nearly double by the year 2030.* The nation is bracing for the impact of providing health care services to these 72 million adults, but what may be lacking is concern about the impact on caregivers.

Findings from the latest Stress in America survey show those who serve as caregivers — providing care to both the aging and chronically ill — for their family members report higher levels of stress, poorer health and a greater tendency to engage in unhealthy behaviors to alleviate that stress than the population at large. What’s more, while lower stress levels are often associated with older adults, those older adults with caregiving responsibilities report more stress and poorer physical health than their peers.

This is where the CareBot will help caregivers deal with this stress:

Many caregivers handle their added responsibilities independently, but some do obtain support from family members. This additional support appears to make a substantial difference in their lives.

Caregivers who feel adequately supported have, on average, significantly lower levels of stress than those who do not (5.9 vs. 6.9).

Caregivers who feel supported are less likely than those who do not feel supported to report symptoms of anger/irritability (48 percent vs. 69 percent) and feeling depressed or sad (39 percent vs. 55 percent).

Caregivers who feel supported are also significantly less likely than those who do not feel supported to report feeling a sense of loneliness and isolation (24 percent vs. 47 percent) and less likely to report that they have isolated themselves from others when feeling stressed (24 percent vs. 42 percent).

Caregivers who feel supported are significantly more likely to report that they actively use a strategy to help themselves manage stress (97 percent vs. 82 percent).

Caregivers who feel supported are more likely to report that they are doing an excellent/very good job at recovering fully or recharging after they have been stressed out (47 percent vs. 22 percent), recognizing how they manage stress (41 percent vs. 26 percent) and managing or reducing stress when they experience it (36 percent vs. 22 percent).

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2011/health-risk.aspx