Taking Care of Elderly Family Members is a Big Commitment
Taking care of elderly family member is a source of pride for many family caregivers. It is a noble deed, however, the impact on family caregivers is great and should be mitigated as much as possible with assistance from other family members and friends of the loved one.. The reward of being able to take care of a loved one is what pushes us through the day to day challenges.
Issues for Family Caregivers to be Aware of
- Huge Source of Pride
- Can Disrupt Family Relations
- Juggle of caring for young kids vs elderly adults
- Sharing Multigenerational Household
- Major time commitment
- Significant Financial Impact
- Increased financial stressors
- Conflicts with existing work routines
- Major source of stress
Huge Source of Pride
75% of family caregivers say it is a source of pride to care for a loved one. Taking care of elderly family members is a way to make a difference in the life of a loved one. Assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and in home caregiving agencies can provide essential care, however, they do not give the love of a family member.
Can Disrupt Family Relations
1 in 4 caregivers say family relationships have suffered because of caregiving responsibilities. This can come in multiple forms. First, the relationship directly with the person being cared for get strained over time due to a host of reasons. Secondly, the relationships with other family members that may have opinions about the care being provided. Lastly, the financial costs often are the burden of the family caregiver while others in the family may or may not be helping enough in the eyes of the caregiver or the loved one needing care.
Juggle caring for young kids vs elderly adults
29% of family caregivers are part of the sandwich generation. As a result, they are responsible for caring for both their own kids and their elderly family members. This can pull the caregiver in multiple directions at the same time causing an increase in stress. The desire to be at every game or practice to participate in their child’s development may be compromised by the need to feed and care for their loved one. The individuals that can find the right balance and additional support when needed are able to manage these pushes and pulls the best.
Shared living multigenerational household
3 in 5 family caregivers share a home with a loved one for whom they provide care. An aging-in-place senior benefits greatly from a caregiver living with them as they get much older or in need of greater assistance. Multigenerational living has been proven to provide significant benefits for both the youngest and oldest in the household. As a result, making a successful multigenerational household will include some level of family caregiving no matter what.
Major time commitment
57% of family caregivers say they provide more than 10 hours of care for a loved one each week. This number increases dramatically during a health crisis or as individuasl age and requires more support with their activities of daily living. As a senior ages tasks like bathing, getting dressed, preparing food, remembering to take medications etc become more difficult. These are the daily tasks. However, they are not the only time sinks during the day, going to medical appointments, visiting vendors like a hair stylist, etc all take real-time for a family caregiver to get accomplished.
Significant Financial Impact on Family Caregivers
Taking care of elderly family member is a significant financial commitment. 42% of caregivers spend at least $6,000 each year to provide care for an aging senior. These are funds that would otherwise be spent on their own children, paying bills, and saving for their own eventual retirement. Many family caregivers do not consider the long-term impacts of being a family caregiver from a financial perspective. Ultimately, this can be a big driver of stress and family tension if other siblings are not putting in the same financial assistance as the one providing the care. If you have a brother or sister that is a family caregiver for mom and dad, ask them how you can help with some bills and expenses to lighten their load.
Increased financial stressors
64% of caregivers worried about the financial impact caregiving will have on their savings. This concern is valid and should be addressed upfront with the greater family before committing to the job at hand. Depending on the level of care that will be provided look for family caregiver financial assistance.
Conflicts with existing work routines
3 in 4 caregivers had to change their job situation in order to provide care or even choose to not work at all in order to care for a loved one. The daily grind of tasks for a loved one can make working a regular job next to impossible. Be aware of the restrictions that this may have on your own financial situation before undertaking the role of a family caregiver.
Major source of stress by taking care of elderly family member
72% of caregivers say caring for a loved one is the #1 source of stress in their lives. As a result, burnout happens frequently for family caregivers. Consider resources like respite care to give yourself a break from the daily routine or to be able to enjoy some life balance. Family members that are not the daily caregiver should be cognizant of the stresses the caregiver is living with every day and offer to provide assistance to lighten the load.