AP-NORC survey: Many caregivers neglect their own health

WASHINGTON – You are taking your exam but not your grandmother? Looking after an older loved one is a balancing exercise, and a new poll shows that all too often, it is the health of caregivers that is neglected.

The survey, conducted by NORC's Associated Press Center for Public Affairs Research, found that about one-third of informal caregivers went without routine physical or dental care, jumped, or failed. Have not scheduled a test or treatment or have even forgotten to fill a prescription see a doctor for his own illness or injury because they were too busy with their care tasks.

Doctors miss opportunities to help. Most caregivers go to medical appointments with the seniors they care for, but the survey found that they were less likely to get information about personal care, childcare programs, and more. support or other services during these visits as they took the time to consult their own doctor. .

"We still have a long way to go before this is a common practice," said Lynn Feinberg, long-term care specialist at AARP. "This survey really highlights the need to look at both the person and the family."

Four out of ten Americans provided long-term care to a family member or older friend, a volunteer workforce that increases with the age of the population. The AP-NORC survey released on Monday revealed that for almost a quarter of them, especially caregivers over the age of 40, the time spent on these tasks equates to a full-time job.

Most caregivers view their role as the key to their identity. But it can be difficult to meet their own needs for physical and mental health.

According to the survey, nearly 40% of caregivers have a health problem, a physical disability or a mental health problem that affects their daily lives or limits their activities. More than a quarter of caregivers say it is difficult to manage their own health at the same time as their tasks. Even more people with chronic diseases, 40%, are struggling to cope.

Deborah Ecker and her husband recently transferred her extremely independent senior parents to their Pennsylvania home, spurred by scary hospitalizations. Ecker's 89-year-old father needs full-time oxygen to treat emphysema and has contracted pneumonia. Her mother, 88, was hospitalized for congestive heart failure and severe hypertension.

"I have embarked on this adventure and I am not sorry," said Ecker, 61, who, with her husband, is a missionary but does not accompany her for the moment in their ministry trips. "They deserve to be taken care of. They are so loving and generous. "

But a few months ago, Ecker realized that she needed to pay more attention to her own health. She had successfully completed her cancer treatment in 2016, but she was overweight and the once-routine hours of physical activity were relaxed.

A post-hospitalization surveillance program from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reinforced Ecker's confidence in his mother's care, which was able to save time to consult with his own doctor. Ecker learned that insulin resistance had gained weight and that she began taking medication and following a dietary program. Then she plans how to work during the exercise period.

"I feel like I'm on the right track," Ecker said. "At the end of the competition, I want to be strong enough and healthy to have a life of my own."

The AP-NORC survey found that only a quarter of caregivers were discussing their care responsibilities with their own physicians – but of these, half had received information on care support services and three-quarters important information about personal care.

In contrast, the vast majority of caregivers accompany the person they attend to doctor's appointments, usually going to the exam rather than staying in the waiting room. Yet less than 40% collected advice on caregiver resources during these visits.

Caregivers and their caregivers "must be treated simultaneously," said Richard Schulz, Aging Specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. "They must be considered as a unit," because if the caregiver runs out, the patient has no one left.

The health system marginalizes caregivers in part because there is no way to bill caregivers when someone else is visited, but also because doctors do not always know which ones to look for. Community resources are available, said Schulz.

Ralph Bencivenga, of New York, lost so much weight while he was taking care of his terminally ill wife and was following his own cancer treatment that he finally asked for help from him. a nutritionist from Mount Sinai Health System. go shopping and cook.

"I had no idea of ​​the kind of stress that had put me under tension," he said about general care tasks.

The new survey found that many caregivers found healthy ways to cope, such as praying, meditating, spending time outside or talking about their situation. But 44% sleep less and 17% increase the consumption of alcohol or tobacco.

The AP-NORC Long Term Care Survey was held from June 26 to July 10 with funding from the SCAN Foundation. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish with 1,024 adults from the country with experience in providing long-term care. Interviews were conducted online or by telephone among members of the NORC-based AmeriSpeak Probability Panel, designed to be representative of the US population.

The margin of error is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

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Emily Swanson, AP polling station editor, contributed to this report.

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Online:

Survey: https://www.longtermcarepoll.org/

An interactive video from the AP-NORC Center explores the perspectives of caregivers: https://interactives.ap.org/ltc-perspectives

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