Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Becoming a caregiver is a time of transition but this is changing. The study showed that 39%
that requires a restructuring of one’s goals, of caregivers are men. The estimated cost of
behaviors, and responsibilities. Although care provided by families has reached $196 bil-
the individual circumstances that bring one lion a year.9 Caregiving is—or will be—a reality
to the caregiver’s role may differ, one thing for most Americans. It affects our families, our
is certain—no one comes to the job pre- workplaces, and our communities. The assis-
pared for the task. No matter how difficult tance provided by caregivers has its rewards,
the role, however, becoming a caregiver can but it can also create great burdens.10 Twenty
give birth to new skills, new strengths, and years ago, it was suggested that caring for fam-
new friends and contacts. Being able to ily members was becoming so common that it
cope with the stress of being a caregiver is should be regarded as a “normative” life
part of the art of caregiving. (Geriatr Nurs event—a milestone as expected as getting mar-
2005;26:152-3) ried, working, or retirement.11
Taking on the role of caregiver means taking
There are four kinds of people in the on something new, but it is also about loss—of
world: those who have been caregivers, what was or what could have been. Caregiving
those who are currently caregivers, those responsibilities often create conflicts with obli-
who will be caregivers, and those who gations to work and family. There is the emo-
will need caregivers. tional pain of seeing a parent or spouse physical-
—Rosalyn Carter ly or cognitively incapacitated. Caregivers
experience the whole range of human emotions:
B
ecoming a caregiver has been variously guilt, anger, frustration, exhaustion, anxiety, fear,
described as “crossing a threshold” grief, sadness, love, and the not-to-be-underesti-
whose other side is unexplored and mated satisfaction of having done a good job.12
often threatening, “drifting into the role,” the Both men and women caregivers face late-in-
point at which concern, visiting and “helping life role changes. An older woman may need to
out” become “caregiving,” and an “unexpected learn to drive, manage money, and make deci-
career.”1-5 The caregiver role can be a cloak sions by herself. If married, she may have to
that’s thrown on overnight by a catastrophic admit that she and her husband are no longer
event, or it can be a role that comes on gradual- partners, that she has become more like his
ly, thread by lonely thread, until it becomes an mother or sister. Male caregivers must take on
engulfing blanket of concern.6 unfamiliar household chores such as cooking
While individual circumstances might differ, and laundry, or helping their partner with per-
one thread is common—no one comes to this sonal hygiene, or adjusting to the loss of a part-
job prepared. Becoming a caregiver is a transi- ner. Both men and women suffer the loss of
tion that requires moving from a known, cur- freedom and privacy.13,14 Role reversal puts
rent reality to an unknown new reality, a stress on the care recipient who may resent see-
restructuring of goals, behaviors, and responsi- ing the spouse or other family member as care-
bilities.7,8 giver because it acknowledges the care recipi-
Caregiving itself is not new. As long as there ent’s personal loss of independence.15
have been people, there have been caregivers. A The bonds of caregiving may be those of vol-
2004 survey on caregiving in the United States untary love or of obligatory responsibility.
reported that more than 20% of all households Whatever the case, these bonds are sources of
provide care to someone who is 50 years or stress. Trying to manage one’s time and juggling
older. Caregivers are predominantly women, multiple and constant responsibilities as a care-