They work behind the scenes—making medical appointments, keeping track of which medications are being taken and when, completing housekeeping chores and providing a watchful eye. They are unpaid for it all, often unrecognized, and usually exhausted. They are the family and friends who provide care for those with dementia—the ever-growing “invisible workforce” of caregivers.
These “invisible” caregivers were recently brought into the spotlight by a study at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which found that family members and friends who play a role in managing the care of older people are more likely to experience a range of financial, emotional and physical stressors. These caregivers are also more likely to be unproductive at work or even absent, due to fatigue and/or distraction.
Though the study focuses on unpaid caregivers in the US, the challenges facing those in Canada are equally pressing, as many struggle to balance the demands of their caregiving role, which can be a full-time job, with their own well-being.
Despite the fact that caregivers play a vital role in the care of older people, the John Hopkins study highlights the failure of the health care system to adequately support unpaid caregivers and calls for their greater involvement as part of a patient’s health care team. Caregivers need to be kept informed by health care providers, they need to be engaged, and most importantly their role needs to be understood and acknowledged. It’s time to bring the issues of these “behind the scenes” caregivers onto centre stage.
From my past role as the Facilitator for the Tri-Cities Senior Caregiver support program, I saw firsthand the comforting effects of caregivers having someone to turn to as needed on their journey. I also saw the value of having caregivers come together in a group support setting. Sadly, in my opinion, there does not seem to be enough support given to these amazing caregivers in all communities.
If you are an unpaid caregiver and would like to connect with others, consider joining our online caregiver Support Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DCSSupportGroup/
