Coping with the Emotional Aspects of Caregiving

Jeffrey W. Janata, Ph.D.Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Director, Psychology DivisionUniversity Hospitals Case Medical Center

Conclusions

• Caregiver stress is common even typical• Common theme is sense of loss of control• Best other-care coping strategies begin with

self-care• Successful coping includes careful assessment

of stressors and strategic plan• Do not shrink from seeking support

Common Caregiver Issues

• Communication challenges• Overwhelmed by the responsibility• Lack of cooperation• Finances are stressful – theirs, mine or both• Cover for mistakes

Common Caregiver Issues

• Lack of gratitude• I shoulder the burden alone• Hard to watch physical/mental decline• Guilt – I should be able to do more• Resentment – other family members not

helping

Common Theme?

Sense of loss of control

Caregiver Self-care Inventory(a good start, but ultimately inadequate)

• Do you get six hours of uninterrupted sleep most nights?

• Have you set aside a period of time alone every day?

• Is there someone you could/would phone if a problem arose any time day or night?

Caregiver Self-care Inventory(a good start, but ultimately inadequate)

• Is there someone in your circle of family or friends who would give or loan you money in case of financial hardship?

• Does at least one other person fully understand the day-to-day trials you experience?

• Do you take regular planned breaks and mini-holidays away from caregiving responsibilities?

Effects of Stress on Health

• Lifestyle• Cardiovascular disorders• The brain• Immune function• Well-being

Self-Monitoring

• Importance for increasing self-awareness• Self-monitoring has a reactive effect• Lays the foundation for strategic planning

Stress Definition

• Stress is a noun! No, a verb! No, an adjective!• Theoretical disagreement: “stress” can

indicate a trigger, a response or an interaction.

• Stress is not universally defined.• BUT, stress is our response to a stressor.

Stress Management

• The purpose of stress management is to achieve a balance between the amount of external stress an individual experiences and his or her capacity to deal with it.

- Cotton, 1990.

To Re-achieve a Lost Sense of Control

• Attend to your own health, wellness (the National Parkinson Foundation point)

• Identify the problem• Address issues when they are not the issue right now• Collaborate with your loved one, seek consensus• Put a plan in place, give it time, persist• Seek support – social, physical, spiritual• Seek professional support if problems seem

unsolvable

Conclusions (reprise)

• Caregiver stress is common even typical• Common theme is sense of loss of control• Best other-care coping strategies begin with

self-care• Successful coping includes careful assessment

of stressors and strategic plan• Do not shrink from seeking support