As a veteran family caregiver, I know how difficult your task can be at times. It seems there is precious little time for you to enjoy yourself during a typical busy day of making sure everything and everyone is taken care of.
Here are a few of the perhaps millions of memes out there for your viewing pleasure. I hope that seeing these will cheer you!
OK. Now that you are smiling, are you ready for some sobering information all caregivers need to be aware of? I am going to quote some statistics I just found on a site called Caregiver.com.
https://caregiver.com/articles/caregiver-stress-syndrome/
Caregiving has a substantial impact on the caregiver’s physical health. According to studies:
· 11% of caregivers state that their role has caused their physical health to decline;
· 45% of caregivers reported chronic conditions, including heart attacks, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis;
· Caregivers have a 23% higher level of stress hormones and 15% lower level of antibody responses than non-caregivers;
· 10% of primary caregivers report that they are under physical stress from the demands of assisting their loved one physically;
· Women who spend 9 or more hours a week caring for a spouse increased their risk of heart disease by 100%;
· 72% of caregivers report that they had not gone to the doctor as often as they should have;
· 58% of caregivers state that their eating habits are worse than before they assumed this role;
· Caregivers between the ages of 66 and 96 have a 63% higher mortality rate than non-caregivers of the same age.
These statistics certainly frightened me. I have experienced just about everything mentioned on this list, most recently during the six-month period when my husband became so ill he was unable to function.
I am happy to report that he has recovered and improved now, but I know my own physical and mental health suffered during that awful time period.
Dear Fellow Caregiver, please be sure to take care of your own health as best you can. Your loved one needs you!