Weiss: Those Taking Care of Persons with Dementia Have Unique Needs

Monday, December 10, 2018
By Herb Weiss, Columnist

Being a caregiver 24/7 to a person in relatively good health is a tough job.  But, caring for someone with dementia, becomes a 36 hour, say Authors Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins, in their ground-breaking book on providing care for those with the devastating mental disorder.
 
The Washington, DC-based AARP releases survey findings last month that takes a look at this “unique subset of caregivers” who are taking care of persons with dementia and other cognitive disorders.  Caregiving takes a physical, and emotional toll on these individuals, forcing them to put in longer hours providing care and making adjustments at work and in their personal relationships, says the findings of the newly released study.   
 
The AARP online national survey (of caregivers 18 and older) takes a look at the demands on 700 caregivers taking care of persons with dementia or other forms of cognitive impairments (most often their parents), as well as 400 caregivers who were providing care for a loved one without dementia.  Regardless of the situation, on average, caregivers report having been caring for their loved one for almost 3 years.
 
“Family caregivers take on big responsibilities that can be physically, emotionally and financially challenging. AARP’s new research shows that this can be particularly true for those caring for loved ones with dementia,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, in a statement released with the study report, Caring for People with Dementia: Caregivers’ Experiences.  “That’s why AARP has developed resources to help family caregivers balance their own needs with the needs of their loved one,” adds LeaMond.

The AARP Study Found…

Obviously, it is time-consuming to be a caregiver. The AARP Survey’s findings, released on November 30, 2018, found that 7 in 10 of those surveyed spend less time with friends and more than half spend less time with other family members because of the intensity of caregiving responsibilities
While 75 percent of the survey respondents reported that caring for someone with dementia has brought about closer relationships and more meaning to their lives, the findings also indicate that caregiving experiences bring greater challenges to their lives, too.
 
According to the 26-page AARP report’s findings, those caring for persons with dementia (more likely a parent) spend on average 13.7 hours per week caregiving while caregivers, taking care of persons with no cognitive afflictions, spend 11.7 hours (more likely a spouse or partner or a friend or neighbor). Three in ten of the caregiver respondents (over age 35) spend over 21 hours per week caregiving, says Study’s findings.   
 
Most of the caregiver respondents providing care to persons with dementia see the devastating disorder’s slowly progressing over time.  But younger caregivers perceive that the onset of cognitive decline as suddenly happening.
 
About 32 percent of the caregiver respondents providing more intense caregiving to persons with dementia say managing their emotions and the demands of care (26 percent) they deliver as the biggest challenges the face.
 
Caregivers taking care of persons with dementia also reported negative health behaviors.  They slept less (71 percent), had more anxiety (65 percent) and depression (54 percent), and spent less time on themselves and with their friends. Research studies reveal that social isolation and loneliness are linked to poorer physical and mental health outcomes.
 
Not only are the millions of family caregivers for those with dementia less socially connected, they are significantly more likely to put off medical care – over half (55 percent) have done so, compared to just 38 percent among the total caregiver population. However, there were positive health behaviors identified in the poll as well – 79 percent took steps to maintain or improve their brain health and 47 percent exercised more.
About 62 percent of those taking care of persons with dementia state that their intense caregiving responsibilities have led them to working different hours, leaving work early (62 percent) or take paid (53 percent) and unpaid time off (47 percent) for caregiving duties, and also worry about their finances.
 
But, two-thirds of all caregivers surveyed say they feel closer to their loved one, but those taking care of persons with dementia were more likely to say their relationship with their loved one over time had grown further apart (22 percent) than others. Those caregivers of persons with dementia were more likely to say the relationship with other family has been strained.
 
Finally, caregiver respondents say that they are receiving what they need from health care providers yet those caring for someone with dementia also have sought out more information about caregiving and from a greater variety of sources.  
 
The AARP survey was conducted October 1-10, 2018. Data are weighted by income, gender, and age according to caregiver benchmarks obtained in Caregiving in the U.S. (2015).
 
Finding Caregiver Resources
 
AARP helps family caregivers find the information and support they need to manage their own care along with their loved one’s care. Go to http://www.aarp.org/caregiving for more resources and information on family caregiving, including AARP’s Dementia Care Guide and the Community Resource Finder. 
For more info, contact AARP Researcher G. Oscar Anderson at ganderson@aarp.org. 
 
Herb Weiss, LRI’12, is a Pawtucket writer covering aging, healthcare and medical issues. To purchase Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly, a collection of 79 of his weekly commentaries, go to herbweiss.com.