Can caregivers cope with the stress of caring?

Yet another reason to protect yourself from caregiver burnout and stress! A new study has found women who experience periods of prolonged stress in midlife have a higher risk of developing dementia.

The Swedish study published in Brain journal followed 1,415 women between 1968 and 2000. The women were required to take psychological stress tests in 1968, 1974 and 1980. They were then asked to rate their levels of stress, defined "as a sense of irritation, tension, nervousness, anxiety, fear or sleeping problems".

The study found women who experienced repeated episodes of stress in midlife tests had a 65% higher chance of developing dementia later in life.

So what's this got to do with caregiving? Carers are typically women in midlife. Research has found that carers are at high risk of stress and depression.

We all know the damaging affects stress can have on our health. Juggling caregiver responsibilities with family and a working life can push many people to their limits. Being on call 24 hours a day or worrying about a loved one falling when you are not there to help can be cause for constant anxiety.

Stress associated with caregiving can continue for many years. Even when a loved one enters an aged care home caring doesn't stop. A new set of challenges emerge. But how often do we take caregivers aside and ask how are they going? Do we adequately prepare and support caregivers in their role?

The push to keep older people at home as they age has meant many more families are finding themselves taking on the carer role for a long time. Older people caring for a sick spouse often neglect their own health to care for the 'sicker' loved one. No one usually notices they're struggling.

Many caregivers are now expected to do tasks once allocated to nurses. Are we expecting too much from caregivers?

When women have a baby they are routinely screened for their risk of depression. But what about caregivers? Perhaps we should be regularly screening caregivers for caregiver stress? After all it could be one way of warding off dementia.