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[Please
note that the material on this page was current when
it was first posted. For up-to-date information on this
topic, visit the Alzheimer
Care section.]
10
Signs of Caregiver Stress Media Kit
Jan.
4, 1999
Media
Release
For
immediate release
Jan. 4, 1999
For
more information:
Debbie Krulicki, Manager, Media Relations and Communications,
Alzheimer Society of Canada -- (416)488-8772 or pr@alzheimer.ca
Alzheimer
Society publishes 10 warning signs of caregiver stress
Emotional
outbursts, depression, social withdrawal, lack of sleep
and exhaustion are key indicators of caregiver stress,
according to a list of 10 warning signs of caregiver
stress just published by the Alzheimer Society.
"Caring
for someone with Alzheimer's disease can be very challenging," says
Linda LeDuc, the Alzheimer Society of Canada's Director
of Support Services and Education. "It takes such
an enormous investment of time and energy that it can
lead to a breakdown of the caregiver's own physical and
emotional health and make it difficult for them to provide
care. We want caregivers to be able to recognize the
signs of caregiver stress, so they can seek the necessary
support."
Signs
of caregiver stress also include anger at the person
with Alzheimer's disease and others, anxiety about the
future, lack of concentration, denial about the disease
and an increase in health problems.
"Many
caregivers, themselves, are elderly and frail," says
Pam Robb, Director of Social Work at Deer Lodge Centre,
a long-term care facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They
are so busy caring for someone else that they can't even
see how it's affecting their health. "It's important
for families to know what kind of stress the entire family
is under and to realize that the caregiver who spends
the most time with the person with dementia is the most
vulnerable." Robb advises caregivers to determine
what is reasonable and realistic for them to do themselves
and identify areas where they will need outside help.
Over
300,000 Canadians, or one in 13 people over the age of
65, have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. About
half of them live in the community, usually cared for
by a daughter or a spouse. By the year 2030, it is estimated
that over ¾ of a million Canadians will have Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Through
its nationwide network of provincial and local organizations,
the Alzheimer Society operates support and educational
programs for people with Alzheimer's disease and their
caregivers, and funds research into finding better methods
of caregiving and service delivery, as well as research
into the cause and cure of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer
Society programs and services are made possible by donations
from Canadians.
Copies
of Are You Providing
Alzheimer Care? 10 Signs of Caregiver Stress and Reducing
Caregiver Stress: Finding Ways to Feel Better are
available from Alzheimer Societies across Canada. The
information is also on the Society's Web site -- www.alzheimer.ca
-- which also has a Caregiver
Forum for sharing information and personal experiences.
Back
to the Media Kit introduction page.
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