By : Lamiaa Moustafa Elbosaty
Dementia affects not only the patient, but also his or her family. The responsibility for caring for the patient often falls on a close family member. This responsibility can take an enormous emotional and physical toll, especially when added to the psychological distress of watching a loved one deteriorate, because of burdens of caregiving, the caregiver of the dementia patient is often referred to as the hidden, or second patient of the disease (American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2004).
As the caregiving population has grown over the years, the definition of "caregiver" has taken many meanings. The San Francisco Based Family Caregivers Alliance describes caregivers as "Family, friends and neighbors who standby those they love as the face chronic illness, disability, or death. Caregivers are a diverse group of people of all ages and from all walks of life some new to care giving, some just anticipating becoming caregivers, and others for whom providing care has become away of life (Mohoney, 2003). A caregiver is anyone who provides assistance to someone who is in need of care. Most caregivers are unpaid family persons or friends who provide care on either a full-or part–time basis. It's estimated that 80 percent of caregivers provide care giving assistance seven days per week, and the care usually involves personal care assistance and household maintenance chores (Arciniegas, & Dubovsky, 2001).
Carers are non-professionals who provide help and support to people who are sick or disabled. The role of the carer is especially important when the person who receives care is unable to live independently without the carer's help (Singleton et al., 2002).
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1 Response to FAMILY CAREGIVERS
Hi,
I have a quick question for you regarding your blog, but I couldn't find your contact information. Do you think you could send me an email whenever you get a chance?
Thanks,
Cameron
cameronvsj(at)gmail(dot)com
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