According to a recent study from Turkey, female caregivers of people with Parkinson’s disease face anxiety and depression themselves, at far greater rates than male caregivers.
We’re talking mostly about family members (spouses, adult children) who take on the caregiver role. The study’s authors conclude that all caregivers, but especially females, should receive additional assistance via social support groups, counseling, and discussions with their doctor.
The researchers worked with 47 female and 33 male caregivers. They applied statistical analyses to data they collected via questionnaires and interviews. The key takeaway is the following:
- Anxiety: 47% of the female group dealt with anxiety vs. just 12% of the male cohort.
- Depression: 64% of the females suffered from depression vs. 33% of the males.
The authors note that “PD duration, advanced stages of the disease (H&Y score) and the age of patients contributed significantly to the risk of the PDC [Parkinson’s Disease Carer] developing anxiety and depression.”
In a related article, the New York Times this week published a first-person account of an adult man who, with his siblings, is taking care of both parents: his mother has Parkinson’s, and his father has dementia. They moved their parents to a new house that was closer to the author and his siblings, and they divided up the responsibilities, such as helping with bathing and timing the medications.
As the writer notes in the article,
That summer, my siblings and I joined the ranks of the 15 million or so unpaid and untrained family caregivers for older adults in this country. A recent study found that almost half of this largely invisible work force spends, on average, nearly 30 hours a week providing care to relatives, many of whom have dementia, an estimated more than $400 billion worth of annual unpaid time.
He also echoes the findings of the Turkish study:
The work takes its toll. These sons, daughters, husbands and wives are at increased risk of developing depression, as well as physical and financial difficulties, including loss of job productivity. Being sick and elderly in this country can be terrifying. Having a sick and elderly loved one is often a full-time job.
The author suggests that the government pay family members for this adult care work; provide additional, short-term help to give the family members a break; and set up a 24-hour counseling hotline. He cautions that this won’t be cheap: “Because of the size of this unpaid family work force, even providing minimum wage to the most taxed caregivers could cost up to $100 billion annually.”
His bottom line:
With millions of elderly adults requiring assistance with daily living, physicians should make it routine practice to ask family members whether they can provide the requisite care. Many of these potential caregivers, ill or stressed themselves, simply cannot.
And as the Baby Boomers continue to age, the problem will just get worse.
