IMPACT ON THE CAREGIVER IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS

In this study, both the positive and negative impacts on the caregiver of choric illness will be investigated. The result showed that all four of caregivers reported experiencing burnout and inadequate stress management psychologically. The positive impacts of being a caregiver are relatively less. There are “strong family bone” and “self-reflection about life and death. ” Also, the study found out that the lack of health facilities, such as day care and hospice facilities, to help to share their burden. Some of the mental problems that are discussed by many authors such as Yeung& Fung, 2017. The authors argue that caregivers always face a lot of emotional distress as they continue with their practice over time. 22% of the caregivers have ever reported their health status decreasing due to their practices.

Caregiving practice, therefore, can impact their health. It is also said that there are some chronic diseases such as dementia which causes a lot of emotional discomfort to the caregiver whenever they handle the patients. Caregivers are also said to have challenges in their time management. Caregivers always required to be with the patient all the time and concentrate on their health. They, therefore, find less time with the family members and for themselves too to engage in some other activities that they might desire. 2 Sacrifice of essential things in life In most cases, caregivers tend to put away some of the critical things they do or need to do in life to attend to the patients. They could sacrifice their lives to take care of their patients more o in the family caretaking.

With the perception that life is important than everything, most researches have put clear that one can sacrifice whatever they have to save someone’s life. 3 Losses and grief impact on Caregiver psychological burden Many researchers have also analyzed that consistent caregiving practice has led to psychological dying of the caregiver. The caregivers are said to be dying psychologically to mean that they experience depreciation in their mental health and physical health. Some chronic diseases might consume up to many years of caregiving which lead to psychological impacts on the caregivers. Most of the caregivers might lose hopes in their lives due to the critical situations they handle in their life without stopping. They therefore often don’t know what to do in some cases such as an emergency.

The study also indicates that caregivers face a lot of anxiety and depression whenever they do their roles. Anxiety and depression rise due to too much workload. Some critical chronic diseases also speed up the development of depression and anxiety. The lives of the care takes are always affected by the two demoralizing factors thus causing them not to deliver their best. I am too old to turn him on my own. He has large bedsores and I try my best to change the dressings for him. I am unable to clean him properly each time he has bowel movements; I have to wait for my daughter to come and help me. She has a job and family and is not available for most of the day” 2.

6 Caregiver strain, age and psychological well-being of spousal caregivers It has been discovered that the caregiving responsibility is given to the spouses concerning small family sizes, limited caregiving resources, longer lifespans, and social policy movements (Chang, Chiou & Chen, 2010). It is therefore evident that patients with dementia can cause a caregiver to develop a lot of stress and psychological impacts on their lives. They cannot also be able to grow emotionally as they will be stressed over one person or a group of people who need their full attention. (Ory, Yee, Tennstedt & Schulz, 2000). 8 Positive impact – creation and strengthening of relationship bonds Despite the negative impacts caregiving to individuals, there are some positive impacts that the caregivers rely from their caregiving practices. It has been concluded that caregiving practices more so in family caregiving, there is a chance to develop healthy relationship bonds with the affected people.