Everyone I believe at one point or another has had bouts of fatigue. Whether from cramping all night for an exam or working full-time, you are completely burned out at times. Now consider the effects of fatigue of an informal caregiver. Informal caregivers usually have the responsibility of working or going to school (sometimes both) and then coming home to the job and stressful situation of caring for a dependent family member. In their world there seems to be no time to recharge or for that matter no time for oneself.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a largely complex and misunderstood disorder for a number of reasons. According to the Center of Diseases Control (CDC) 80% of cases of CFS are undiagnosed or they are misdiagnosed due to many of the symptoms being common in other disorders (CDC, 2006). What separates CFS from other disorders is the severity of fatigue the individual experiences, this type of fatigue is not improved with prolonged periods of bed rest and progressively becomes worse after long periods of physical or mental exertion (CDC,2006). Without adequate treatment CFS can lead to serious cases of depression, and anxiety. Treatment for CFS consists of drug and nondrug therapies and lifestyle changes which includes reduction in stress (CDC, 2006).
The dangerous mix of a caregiver having CFS is not only detrimental for them, but also for the family member dependent upon their care. CFS is debilitating, if the caregiver’s health is in a fragile state then the care provided to a loved one will be of poor quality. One caregiver who suffered from CFS used respite care in their home to receive much needed sleep a few days out of the week, and another caregiver relied on other family members to stay overnight so she could get a full night of sleep (Dwyer, 2006).
In Long-Term care the primary focus is on the quality of care received by the resident, whether it is in a nursing facility or in the comforts of home. However, the question should arise from a primary physician or another party, “Is the health of caregiver being monitored as well?” Caregivers are a vital part of the LTC continuum of care, “They need care too!!”
Works Cited:
(2006, May 3). Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Center of Disease Control (CDC). Retrieved July 11, 2009 from, http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/cfsdefinition.htm Dwyer, Kristine. (2006, October 1). Fighting Caregiver Fatigue. Today’s Caregiver Magazine. Retrieved July 10, 2009, from http://www.caregiver.com/magazine/2006/sept_oct/fighting_caregiver_fatigue.htm
Sunday, July 19, 2009
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