Page 9 - Flathead Beacon // 9.21.16

Did you know that in America 5 million people are living with Alzheimer’s, or dementia? That’s approximately 1 in 738, or 0.14%, or 368,320 people in the USA that are diagnosed with dementia per year. In 2015 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care was provided by 15 million caregivers.
Alzheimer’s and dementia take a devastating toll on caregivers. Nearly 60 percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high, or very high; about 40 percent suffer from depression. One in ve caregivers cut back on their own doctor visits because of their care responsibilities. And, among caregivers, 74 percent report they are “somewhat” to “very” concerned about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver.
Respite care is a service that exists to help the individuals who are caring for elderly or disabled family members. Respite care provides these individuals a temporary, short-term break from the daily stresses they experience. Frequently, individuals who are responsible for caring for an elderly family member are expected to provide care around the clock, including weekends and holidays. This care may be necessary for the senior adult, but quickly becomes overwhelming for the caregiver, who may also have a job and family of his own. In some cases, this level of ongoing stress can lead to caregiver burnout, making it even more dif cult to provide appropriate care. Caregivers need to have suf cient and regular amounts of respite time. Temporary and short-term respite alone does not provide the help most caregivers need.
Respite programs provide planned short-term and time-limited breaks for families and other unpaid care givers of adult family members in order to support and maintain the
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primary care giving relationship. Respite also provides a positive experience for the person receiving care. Even though many families take great joy in providing care to their loved ones so that they can remain at home, the physical, emotional and nancial consequences for the family caregiver can be overwhelming without some support, such as respite. Respite provides a break for the family caregiver, which may prove bene cial to the health of the caregiver. Caregivers need to give careful thought to how they want to spend their respite time. Respite needs to be meaningful and purposeful for caregivers to ful ll their needs and plans.
Respite has been shown to help sustain family caregiver health and well being, avoid or delay out-of- home placements, and reduce the likelihood of abuse and neglect. Some studies have even shown that respite may also reduce the likelihood of divorce and help sustain marriages.
Caregivers need to consider respite services much earlier than they think they will need them. Respite is most helpful to caregivers if they use it before they become exhausted, isolated, and overwhelmed by their responsibilities. Respite services can be bene cial to both the caregiver, and the care receiver.
If you are in need of quality respite care, call me today. I can help.
AMY CHRISTIANSEN, RN 406•250•7184 [email protected]
FAMILY
AMY CHRISTIANSEN, RN 406•250•7184 [email protected]
SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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