Caregiver Syndrome

            While care-giving can be a rewarding experience, it can also be stressful and cause tension within families.  According to the American Academy of Geriatric Psychiatrists, one out of every four American families care for a chronically ill or disabled family member over the age of 50.  A survey done by Home Instead Senior Care, of these adults, 72% provide the care without any outside help. However, 31% admit they would like more help with care-giving, and one in four resent other family members and sometimes friends who do not help out.
 
            These caregivers are at risk for Caregiver Syndrome, also known as Caregiver Stress, a condition composed of exhaustion, anger, guilt, and depression from providing nonstop care to a chronically ill or disabled family member.   This unrelenting, and often high level of stress can create medical problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, and a compromised immune system.  In severe cases, the caregiver can take on the symptoms of the person they are caring for, i.e. dementia.  However, this syndrome is rarely treated or discussed.
 
            Caregiver Syndrome is a term that is widely used by professionals in hospice or nursing home care, but it is not yet recognized in American medical literature.  Because of this, it is not addressed more by physicians.  In a survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians, fewer than half of caregivers were asked by their doctors if they have experienced Caregiver Stress.  It is hard to say if Caregiver Syndrome should be recognized as a medical mental disorder, like depression and anxiety.  Unfortunately, many believe that doing so would negatively label those who have it, much like many mental disorders.
 
            Because care-giving of loved ones is viewed by many as a burden, very few caregivers get the help and support they need from friends, family, and sometimes even their own doctors.  These caregivers suffer in isolation.  Many do not seek assistance because they do not even realize they have a recognizable condition, or they feel guilty for needing help.  They also tend to be so immersed in the care of a loved one that they neglect to care for themselves.
 
            Medical treatment is a very important step in assisting these unsung heroes, but most importantly a support system.  Programs need to be implemented to provide caregivers the opportunity for time off, but it will be a long time before any government program will be established. It is up to the friends and family members of the caregiver to give the much needed breaks, even if it is only for a couple of hours every week.  This time off will greatly improve the health and happiness of the caregiver. 

            To learn more about this syndrome and find out ways to relieve symptoms or advice on how to help a caregiver in your area, please visit The Family Caregiver Alliance at http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp .

Author’s note:  I would like to thank the wonderful Dawn Hullender for her assistance in editing and idea movement with this.  You are the best, Dawn!  Please visit Dawn’s Blog: Dawn Hullender’s Southern Musings

Water Blisters, Yuck!

In a brilliant move on my part, last Saturday I decided to kick off Melanoma Awareness Month with a healthy 2nd degree sunburn of my upper chest and my upper arms. Okay it wasn’t a conscious decision, more like “Honey do you have the sunscreen? You don’t? Oh well.” Now being a red head, fair-skinned and pale (and I have been my entire life), you would think I would know better. But obviously I’m a slow learner about somethings.

But here are some important tips for caring for that sunburn if you end up with one:

1) You need to cool the skin down! Apply Vinegar, Noxzema, or ice packs to the sunburn. You need to quit the cooking process.

2) Gently wash the sunburn. Allow cold water to run over it, or use a cool wash rag. You need it to be clean. The skin has been damaged and you want to prevent infection.

3) Apply Aloe with Lidocaine or any number of other moisturizers. Do not use anything oil or lanolin based, these will not allow the skin to breathe and heal.

I saw many ideas on the internet that some people use on sunburns. Everything from chamomile tea bags to aspirin dissolved in water. Don’t know how well the aspirin works, but if you don’t normal take the aspirin due to medical reasons, do not try that home remedy.

4) Do NOT pop the blisters!!! I know they are gross. I know it is hard to resist. But do NOT do it! The blisters are a way the skin heals itself. Just keep applying those moisturizers. When they pop on their own, gently clean the area and gently removed the dead tissue, this is the only time you are allowed to play with them! If you pop the blisters, you will end up with scar tissue in the location, typically called sun spots.

**If the blisters are covering large portions of your skin, you should seek medical attention. The last thing you want is an infection to develop.

But do yourself a favor, use the Sunscreen!!! Here are some Sunscreen SPF facts from LiveStrong:

1) Consider this: If you ordinarily look like a boiled lobster after 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, then by adequately applying an SPF 30 sunscreen, it would take 7 and 1/2 hours to get the same sunburn.

2) An SPF of 15 filters about 93% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. An SPF of 30, about 97%, an SPF of 50, about 98%. You can quickly see that as the SPF get higher, the amount of additional ultraviolet radiation that gets to your skin is minimal.

Another important thing for you to do, check the expiration date on that Sunscreen!!! The ingredients will breakdown and make it not very effective. I have burned very badly from sunscreen that was less than a year out of date.

LiveStrong has a wonderful article about choosing sunscreen. Please read it and use the information in it.

So to avoid the issue we had last Saturday of not having the sunscreen with us, I am going to buy another bottle and stick it (in a zip top bag) in my truck.