Med Surg Week 3 Caregiver Health, Compassion Fatigue, Burnout

Caregiver vs care-partner?

Similar terms but some may have a preference.

What are some labels to describe the people caregivers take care of?

Patients, clients, care-receiver, care-recipients

What ethnicity groups have shown the highest growth in caring for an adult relative?

African Americans and Hispanic caregivers

Are most caregivers women or men?

Women

Do more caregivers feel like they DID NOT have a choice or that they DID have a choice?

Did not have a choice. Women reported more often lack of choice.

Higher-income CG - no choice.

What are the top three care recipients main problems?

Old age

Mobility issues

Alzheimer’s, dementia

What’s compassion fatigue?

Concept that can include emotional, physical, and spiritual distress in those providing care to another. Associated with caregiving where people or animals are experiencing significant emotional or physical pain and suffering.

What’s caregiver burnout?

State of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion due to the role of being a caregiver and/or caregiving demands. Relates to the task or work.

What is caregiver stress?

Psychological feeling of being overwhelmed by caregiving duties that present in signs and symptoms of distress.

When caregivers feel alone, many report feeling high emotional stress.

Signs and symptoms

• feeling overwhelmed or constantly worried

• being tired often

• getting too much or too little sleep

• gaining or losing weight

• easily irritated or angry

• losing interest in activities you used to enjoy

• feelings of sadness or depression

• feelings of wanting to hurt self or person they’re caring for

• frequent headaches, body pain, physical ailments

• getting sick more often

• abusing alcohol, drugs, including rx meds

Professional caregivers and burnout/compassion fatigue

Unpaid CG may be at higher risk of added emotional stress.

Unpaid CG may lack the resources and training, further increasing risk.

Nurse specialties with higher risk of compassion fatigue and burnout?

ER, ICU, oncology, NICU, trauma. Critically ill patients, high mortality rates, traumatic situations, frequent exposure to death and suffering.

Resources for unpaid caregivers

Education/training

respite care (adult day care centers, IHSS)

Support groups

Therapy

Journaling

Hobbies