May 11 , 2004 — Both Mr. O from the segment, "Yesterday's Gone" and Lola Crosswhite from "Keeping Old Brains Young," are suffering from memory loss. Learn more about how their loss affects those who are close to them.
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Caregivers providing assistance to people who are incapacitated and need help -- whether it is a husband who has suffered a stroke or a grandmother with Alzheimer's disease -- are a growing demographic in our country. Nearly one out of every four households is involved in unpaid caregiving to people aged 50 or over. It has been proven that patients fare better when treated at home. But the additional demands that come with home care can adversely affect the patients' family members. Caregivers report more depressive symptoms, more anxiety, more irritability, and feel more overwhelmed by their added responsibilities when compared to non-caregivers. Lola Crosswhite who is in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's says of her disease, "I think it probably affects the caregiver far worse than it does the person that has it."

	"I think it probably affects the caregiver far worse than it does the person that has it"

Even a simple task such as setting up an appointment can prove complicated both for people struggling with memory loss and for the people who are caring for them. Maryanne, who cares for her memory-impaired husband Chuck, made an appointment by phone. In the intervening two weeks Maryanne explains that "Chuck has asked me probably eight to ten times exactly what are we going there for, what is this all about. And I carefully and clearly explained everything…yesterday, at dinner, he asked again, and I said to our son, "Could you answer Dad?" Because you get tired of answering the same thing, and of course, Chuck doesn't realize that he's asked so many times." These kinds of frustrations challenge the caregiver to remain patient and remember that their loved one isn't intentionally being difficult.

Exhaustion, inadequate resources, and continuous caring can lead to burn out, stress and depression. This lifestyle leaves many caregivers vulnerable to illness. 31% of those caring for persons aged 65+ describe their own physical health as "fair to poor." Dr. Grant leads a group at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine that is studying the chronic stresses of caregiving. The research focuses on psychological and emotional factors, cardiovascular disease, stroke and hypertension, immune system response, chemical and molecular changes to the body and sleep disturbance related to the stresses of caregiving. A study of elderly spousal caregivers (aged 66-96) found that caregivers who experience mental or emotional strain have a 63% higher risk of dying younger than their non-caregiving counterparts.

With less time to work, more time spent sick and more resources being diverted to healthcare costs, financial burden is another major issue confronting caregivers. Loss in wages and benefits greatly affect financial resources for caregivers. Many caregivers, however, must manage on their own because the costs of paid services are prohibitively high. If the services provided by informal caregivers (i.e. family, friends, neighbors) had to be replaced with paid services, it would cost an estimated $196 billion.
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