The Invisibles: Unpaid Caregivers of the Elderly

Frontiers in Public Health

Eli Carmeli¹ 

关键词: family caregivers;    elderly population;    health policy;    public health;    health services accessibility;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2014.00091

学科分类：卫生学

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

However, becoming a caregiver, without advance notice or preparation can have countless negative effects on a person’s life. Although care giving can be rewarding for numerous reasons, it can be demanding, overwhelming, constraining, and stressful. An individual might become a caregiver overnight without preparation, training, or skills (6), with abrupt alterations in daily lifestyle, routine, and habits. These changes can eventually trigger emotional stress and be a financial burden. Social activities might be curtailed, family and household duties might be neglected, their own health is neglected, and physical demands might cause injury. Moreover, they often feel excluded by health and social care professionals. The caregiver’s duties are immense and varied. This is known as “caregiver burden” (7). Along with other emotional burdens and psychological demands, they may be providing care for someone whom they love deeply, who has a chronic illness or a terminal disease, which can be heartbreaking. Nevertheless, they manage medications, medical appointments, and coordinate personal care. They assist with transportation, grooming, bathing, shopping, house cleaning, manage finances, etc. Schulz et al. have found empirical evidence linking patient suffering with caregiver compassion (8).

【 授权许可】

CC BY