6 minute read
Don’t Forget Yourself While Caring For Others
By Anna Maria Clement, PhD, LN Caregiving is one of the noblest attributes that we can share with others. Instinctively, it is most people’s desire to protect and support those they love. In this world where we have not been taught to honor our self, we often give without boundaries to such a degree that it becomes a detriment rather than a positive experience.
As one who naturally, and in a maternal their youth, it is a formidable responsibility. way, loves to nurture, I gravitated to work These actions demand a high level of in the field of care. Now in my 47th year, commitment and are heavily taxing. there is a lot of clarity as to the help and harm that this vocation offers. Caregivers often feel unappreciated, exhausted, and are vulnerable to illness. In the 1980s when I was attending nursing This compounds when those you care for school, I chose to temporarily work in a find no resolution and it seems hopeless nursing home to gain insight on how we and eternal. treat our aging population. Women are far more likely to be caregivers Society has historically protected its due to their maternal instincts and the role seniors; it is a new phenomenon that we that they play within the nuclear family. stick them in facilities so they can be cared A recent study conducted by Supriya Sakar for by others. With dementia, Alzheimer’s M.S. Gerontology 2015 showed that in and frailty sky rocketing - at the same time a total of 207 family caregivers, 25 were as work demands are increasing - it is easy males, compared with 182 females; to justify removing your loved ones from women were more stressed and suffered your life. For those courageous people who more depression. do embrace their responsibility and return the love and support that they received in 38 | hippocratesinst.org | Immunity and well-being
CDC reviewed the status of homebound caregivers, reporting that the vast majority were middle aged, impacting their ability to withstand the significant emotional and physical stress imposed on them by being the sole support. Men tend to give more ‘absentee support’, providing guidance and economics from afar. Women generally take more of a handson approach. In the developed world, 20% of the population are caregivers supporting the aging population; parents are a major part of this mix with their children. In the U.S. alone, there are more than two million grandparents raising their grandchildren, and in the last generation it has become common globally for adult children to stay at home and not leave the nest. This is so common it has been given the term “failure to launch”.
Today, the foremost reasons for needing a caregiver is the explosion of memory loss leading to Alzheimer’s and also autism. These disorders will double in the next 30 years, and in the case of autism it is expected that soon half the children born in the “advanced” societies will be born with that disorder. Out of all concerns, these are the most taxing, since the disconnect and lack of communication frustrates both the victim and the supporter. Economics play a pivotal role in raising stress, beyond the exceptional physical and emotional demands placed on the caregivers. When there is not enough money to foster the needs of either party, it often becomes the “straw that breaks the camel’s back”. Long-term care insurance is becoming more popular, and is very important, yet it’s quite costly and mounts as we age. Professions of care (doctors, nurses, aids, home health care, senior living, long-term care facilities and senior homes etc.) play a central role in today’s society since there are ever-increasing numbers of older people than in previous generations. Eighty-five years plus is the fastest growing demographic in Western culture. There are more centenarian and now super centenarians (110-plus) then there were only a short time ago. Oddly enough, this does not mean life expectancy is increasing; it is simply that there were more children born in the early to mid 20th century. In fact, in the U.S., life expectancy is dropping. For the first time in recorded history in North America and other countries that live similarly, babies born today are expected to perish a minimum of five years earlier than their parents’ generation. Most people do not conveniently drop dead, they develop debilitating coronary events, diabetes, MS, Parkinson’s, cognitive disorders, etc. Today, even our youth are sicker with chronic disease by a shocking 57%. When the Millennials reach their 60’s, the writing is on the wall, with forecasts of catastrophe and a collapse of the healthcare system.
20% of caregivers are 65+ and most are women.
Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s often related to the use of anti-depressants.
Caregivers need to create schedules that afford breaks, back-up help, and quiet time each and every day. Needless to say their diets, exercise routine and socialization must also be a major focus for them to achieve success, without becoming ill themselves. Those with sympathy, compassion, strength, and the desire to love are fulfilled with the very act of care. Unfortunately, most people do not know their compass enough to put on the brakes and not overdo it. Emotions cause the most stress for those untrained caregivers who are tending to loved ones. There is a point when it comes down to a very simple question: “is this truly too much for me to handle?”. If the perception is “yes”, you must find a way to relinquish the guilt that likely will arise when asking for outside assistance. Although they are not abundant in North America, most of the world provides public facilities to help and home their aged and challenged population. Providing you continue to share support and love with the person you are responsible for after they check in, you should be able to release the self-criticism, lift the sadness, and know you made the choice that cares for both of you. Over time we’ve conferred with thousands of professionals and family support people. When they focus on themselves and take home the tools that we develop, they are able to ride a new wave of health and happiness so that they are not only less stressed but better at rendering care.
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This leading-edge model in integretive oncology wellness addresses cancer as a metabolic disease.
Maximise your potential to get well, stay well, and prevent illness by incorporating holistic methods that upregulate your immune system and activate your body’s healing mechanisms. Dr. Janet Hranicky is co-director of Hippocrates Health Institute’s Comprehensive Cancer Wellness Program and a pioneer in the fi eld of psychoneuroimmunology and cancer. Dr Hranicky combines her 30 years of clinical experience with Dr. O. Carl Simonton’s new patient program at the Simonton Cancer Center in Los Angeles. Their research validated the importance of reducing chronic stress neurophysiology for postively infl uencing the course of disease and survival outcomes. This pivotal approach was described in Simonton’s best-selling book, Getting Well Again.
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