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Retirement Connection Guide • 1-800-462-1316
The Health Impacts of Caregiving
At Home Care & Health supportive family members who want to balance experienced by other caregivers.
decline in addition to the work and care
The aging process can become difficult for
be there for loved ones while encountering
In contrast to other types of care that
may focus on recovery and rehabilitation,
the financial and emotional challenges
dementia caregiving can oftentimes be
that grow overtime. These challenges can
become even more difficult when their loved more challenging when a loved one is
facing a long, inevitable deadline. Based
one is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease
and other dementias. In the United States,
there are roughly 5.5 million Americans
dementia caregivers feel the most stress
from watching their loved one decline,
living with dementia, and the care for
while 33 percent of those caring for a loved
dementia costs more than the care for on the survey results, 38 percent of
cancer ($77 billion) and heart disease ($102 one without dementia feel the most stress
billion), combined at $259 billion. from having to juggle their career and
caregiving responsibilities. If we compare
Behind these numbers lies a hidden male caregivers to female caregivers, we
emotional cost of daily living for family found that male dementia caregivers were
caregivers who help those with Alzheimer’s 21 percent more likely to feel stressed from
and other dementias. Family members who having to juggle their job and caregiving
choose to become caregivers experience responsibilities than female dementia
negative health implications. To grasp caregivers.
an understanding of the severity of these
implications, Home Care Assistance Result 3: Female dementia caregivers
conducted a survey through a third-party experience higher rates of caregiver guilt.
research firm. In the study, 670 family Two-thirds of the dementia caregiver
caregivers were surveyed and asked demographic are women. According to the
questions regarding their health. The survey, female dementia caregivers were
following results were noted: 61 percent more likely to feel extreme guilt

Result 1: Dementia caregivers experience for not tending to their own family and
higher rates of physical, emotional, and children’s needs than non-dementia female
mental burnout. caregivers.
These findings demonstrate that the health
Often referred to as “caregiver burnout,” the of family caregivers can be compromised
survey found that dementia caregivers were when providing care for their loved ones
seven times more likely to experience daily with dementia. It’s clear that family
physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caregivers need to mind their own physical,
from caregiving than non-dementia mental and emotional well-being by
caregivers. Dementia caregivers are also focusing on self-care.
three times more likely to feel extreme
stress from their caregiving responsibilities Article provided by:
than other types of caregivers. Home Care Assistance
425-453-1015
Result 2: Dementia caregivers experience www.HomeCareAssistance.com
stress from watching their loved ones
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