Caregivers need attention, too

Since November is national Alzheimer’s month, this is a good time to take a look at how many people in California are affected by this disease. There are 1.8 million households in California alone, taking care of someone 50+, about 16 percent of the population. This percentage will exceed 20 percent in the next 10 to 20 years as our baby boomer generation ages.

It is the dedicated families—not institutions, who provide most of the long-term care. While helping a family or friend with a loved one can be positive and rewarding in many ways, too often the effects of caregiving act in a devastating manner resulting in health problems, financial pressures, emotional turmoil and most commonly depression.

Estimates show that between 40 to 70 percent of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression, with approximately one quarter to one-half of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression. Higher rates of depressive symptoms and mental health problems among caregivers, compounded with the physical strain of caring for someone who cannot perform activities of daily living—such as bathing, grooming and other personal care activities—put many caregivers at serious risk for poor physical health outcomes.

How can caregivers care for themselves as well