On a recent (March 2, 2024) episode of the TV news “CBS Saturday Morning”, veteran correspondent Barry Petersen did a feature piece on the growing phenomenon of family members and friends caring for needful loved ones in their homes. The piece began by focusing on how the COVID pandemic heightened the need for caregivers themselves to have assistance and support. The TV story can be viewed online by Googling “Barry Petersen”. Petersen himself came to the concern through his own experience, having cared for his wife until her death. He recounted his experience in a book entitled “JAN’S STORY: A love lost to the long goodbye of Alzheimer’s”, available through Amazon.
Petersen’s TV feature story interviewed persons engaged with DUET, a Phoenix-based organization committed to providing support to family/at-home caregivers. They do this locally in their area by offering in-person support groups as well as virtual support groups via ZOOM which now extend to fifteen states, Canada, and the Navajo Nation. Their website is duetaz.org. The feature included comments by DUET facilitators as well as group participants.
Some of the statistics are quite surprising. Here in our country, 38 million citizens are involved in family/home-based caring. The financial equivalent of their unpaid work (if it were done by nurses and other healthcare workers) is $600 billion dollars. Family/home-based caregivers often suffer from the stressors of isolation, loneliness, and isolation which can impact them physically as much as would smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Another significant stressor is “ambiguous loss”, caused by the physical presence but psychological absence of the one being care for. The caregiver has no way of knowing how long their caregiving responsibility will last since the patient’s end of life cannot be definitely predicted. The “not knowing” becomes a test of emotional and physical endurance since there is no sense of closure. Add to this the very human (and understandable) reactions of fear, frustration, anger, and guilt and you have a growing population of people who are emotionally hurting.
To assist caregivers in our area, PEMI-BAKER HOSPICE & HOME HEALTH offers an in-person support group which meets on the first Wednesday of every month. The gathering is held in the Conference Room at the agency’s Boulder Point site which can be accessed in the blue/gray building at Health Place. The entrance is right near the beautiful little gazebo and solar panels. Meetings begin at 10:00am and conclude no later than 11:30am. There is no cost to attend. Sessions are facilitated by Guy Tillson, Pemi-Baker’s Hospice Spiritual Counselor and Bereavement Coordinator. Interested persons are asked to pre-register by contacting him at gtillson@pbhha.org or by calling the agency ay 603 536-2232.
For more information about Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health and its services, visit www.pbhha.org.
Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is a trusted, nonprofit agency proudly serving 32 towns in central and northern NH since 1967. Expert services include at-home healthcare and physical therapies (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and community programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver and Bereavement Support Groups and Ask A Pemi-Baker Nurse days at your local senior centers. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals and also your neighbors. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.
Caregiver burnout is a common phenomenon among those who care for individuals with dementia, and it can lead to serious physical and mental health issues. Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is committed to supporting caregivers and promoting their well-being. We offer the following tips to help caregivers avoid burnout when caring for someone with dementia:
