Caregiver Strain: Causes, Prevention & Management - Essay Sample

Introduction

A caregiver refers to an individual who offers support or assists another person in need, such as an ailing relative, spouse, helpless child, partner, or an aging relative. Caregiver role strain refers to the situation where the caregivers feel overwhelmed, making them unable to execute their roles to the best of their ability (Fackrell & Hiseman, 2017). It is characterized by feelings of anxiety and stress. The review will analyze the leading factor of caregiver strain, how it can be assessed, preventative measures.

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Financial Pressure

Financial pressure is one of the most significant factors that cause caregiver strain. The act of caregiving might be a fulltime job that leads to economic stress as individuals try to balance caregiving and work. A majority takes time off, leave of absence, and minimize their working hours directly affecting their income, leading to physical and mental stress that affect their performance. Statistics show that only 7.4 percent of informal caregivers reported receiving payment, for the assistance they provide, despite 20 percent claiming to spend more than $250 per month on the same in the United States (Nauert, 2011).

Assessment

The caregiver’s strain can be examined via standardized interviews and questionnaires. Though stress and burden are not diagnostic labels, they should be the key components of a profile of the mental stress faced by many caregivers (American Psychological Association, n.d.).

Prevention

Though caregivers develop coping strategies with time, they must receive the necessary support to prevent burnouts. One of the ways is the government financial support. Alternatively, to free up some time, an individual may look at all the available caregiving resource centers to assist them. Lastly, a support group will help an individual psychologically as they get to meet other caregivers.

Conclusion

The art of caregiving plays a significant role within society as every family is susceptible to have a person requiring such care. However, caregiving might introduce burnouts, especially financial pressure. As such, caregivers should be assessed often to determine the level so the necessary steps may be taken to prevent the same.

References

American Psychological Association (n.d.) Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire. (n.d.). Https://Www.Apa.Org. Retrieved May 30, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/pi/about/publications/caregivers/practice-settings/assessment/tools/self-assessment

Fackrell, R., & Hiseman, J., P. (2017). Caregiver Burden - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Sciencedirect.Com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/caregiver-burden

Rick Nauert (2011, September 22). Caregivers Face Emotional and Financial Stress. Psychcentral.Com. https://psychcentral.com/news/2011/09/22/caregivers-face-emotional-and-financial-stress/29694.html‌