CAREGIVERS NEED SUPPORT, TOO

I am a therapist who is passionate about providing support to individuals who are caring for a loved one. My years working with Hospice Austin and as a therapist for older adults have given me unique insight into the challenges and frustrations that caregivers face.

Caregiving can be such a transformative and precious time in your life and in your relationship with the person you are caring for. My goal is to help you find a way to honor that commitment and love while also holding space for you to process what oftentimes are feelings of grief, frustration, and guilt. I am not afraid of honest and tough conversations about what you need and how you can be supported.

I would love the opportunity to speak with you and discuss whether or not we are a good fit. Finding the right therapist can be hard, and I am committed to supporting you in that process.

Why is caregiving so challenging?

The statistics don’t lie. Caregiving is a time consuming experience that negatively impacts a caregiver’s personal life. Caregivers often find themselves in the role because no one else can or will step up. Add to this the reality that caregiving does not happen in a vacuum, and it is easy to see why things can get so complicated and feel so overwhelming.

Let’s look at the numbers provided by the Family Caregiver Alliance National Center on Caregiving. On average:

• Family caregivers spend an average of 24.4 hours per week providing care. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers spends 41 hours or more per week providing care. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]

• Family caregivers who reside with those they provide care for spend 40.5 hours per week caring for this person.

• The average duration of a caregiver’s role is 4 years.

• Regardless of employment status, unpaid caregivers report that positive activities in their respective daily lives are reduced by 27.2% as a result of their caregiving responsibilities. This effect is three times greater in their personal lives than in their professional lives. [Coughlin, J. (2010). Estimating the Impact of Caregiving and Employment on Well-Being: Outcomes & Insights in Health Management.]

57% of caregivers report that they do not have a choice about performing clinical tasks, and that this lack of choice is self-imposed.

• 43% feel that these tasks are their personal responsibility because no one else can do it or because insurance will not pay for a professional caregiver.

• 12% report that they are pressured to perform these tasks by the care receiver.

• 8% report that they are pressured to perform these tasks by another family member. [AARP and United Health Hospital Fund. (2012). Home Alone: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care.]

40% to 70% of family caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression. About a quarter to half of these caregivers meet the diagnostic criteria for major depression. [Zarit, S. (2006). Assessment of Family Caregivers: A Research Perspective.]