Mindfulness training for carers of people with dementia; impact on carers’ wellbeing
Introduction
This essay explores explores evidence of how caring for people with dementia (PwD) might have detrimental effects on a carers’ physiological and psychological wellbeing. It describes reviews the practice of mindfulness, and its potential health benefits,; and examines considers literature which argues which evaluates the impact of mindfulness training has a positive, therapeutic impact on the wellbeing of carers’.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society (2014) there are approximately 850,000 people with dementiaPwD in the UK, which will increase to one million people by 2025. One in six people aged 80 and over have dementia. The word dementia
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Dementia can have a detrimental impact on takes a devastating toll on carers, affecting both their physiological and psychological wellbeing. According to the a poll, administered by the Alzheimer’s Association (2016) in the US, which questioned 3,102 adults in America about their attitudes, knowledge and experiences related to Alzheimer’s disease –, about 60 percent of carers of people with dementia carers rated their emotional stress of caring as high or very high, nearly 40 percent said they suffer from depression Aand approximately 74 percent said they are "somewhat" to "very" concerned about maintaining their own health .
Many studies have taken place over the last twenty years, which have brought to light the negative consequences caring for people with dementiaPwD has on the wellbeing of carers’, most notably . A study by Schultz, et al., (1995) noted that the most frequent clinical conditions examined are depression and anxiety .; O other symptoms may include sleep deprivation, negative changes in immune function and hypertension. In a review of 37 publications, which evaluated differences between caregivers and non-caregivers health and cognition, Fonareva et al (2014: 725-726) suggest report that familial carers, in particular, suffer from chronic stress, exacerbated by ‘excessive time constraints, increased chores, and behavioural management issues of the PwD, together with anticipatory grieving’; ‘often
the importance of relationships and interactions with others to the person with dementia, and their potential for promoting well‑being.
Nearly 135 million people worldwide will be impacted by dementia by 2050 (Robinson, Tang, Taylor,. 2015). Dementia is not a disease, it is an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with the decline in memory and thinking skills. Dementia is a progressive illness that results in the loss of one’s sense of self (Burns, Byrne, Ballard, Holmes, 2002). The two most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular dementia. Dementia is progressive and people with dementia experience complications with short-term memory, keeping track of personal items, paying bills, taking care of themselves and daily tasks (Haigh, Mytton, 2016). Due to the rising number of individuals developing dementia, it is causing major challenges in the healthcare systems and society (Angermeter, Luck, Then, Riedel-Heller, 2016). Utilizing psychotropic medications are often ineffective or harmful to the individual, therefore, many patients decide to utilize sensory therapy as a form of treatment instead (Livingston, Kelly olmes, et al., 2014). Caregivers of individuals with dementia can also experience health consequences related to caregiving at the end of life. Spousal caregivers are 40.5% higher odds of experiencing frailty as a result of caregiving (Carr, Dassel, 2017). Dementia does not only affect the individual, it affects those around them, society, and the healthcare system.
“Alzheimer`s disease is called a family disease” (ALZlive), because it impacts every family member who is slowly watching a loved one decline. Alzheimer’s disease has an impact on caretakers because caregivers can lead to a variety of emotions, from guilt to anger. When dealing with a client who has Alzheimer; caretakers have a huge responsibility, which can cause stress or depression. If the caretaking is a family member it might lead to finical problems, which can lead to the hard and controversial decision of putting someone in a nursing home, that is better equipped. Guilt is the main emotion that a caretaker can express “I have never spoken to my mother`s doctor, it occurs to me that other children of
Globally, the World Health Organisation reports there are approximately 47.5 million people who have been diagnosed with a form of dementia and there are 7.7 million new cases each year. The number of people effected internationally is estimated to triple by 2050 to
Dementia has a huge impact on not only the lives of them self’s but also the family and carer. Watching the person you love degenerate from a fully functioning person to some one that needs to be fully cared for. As a carer, you are likely to experience a range of different feelings. This is particularly difficult because as dementia gradually causes the person’s abilities and personality to change the nature of relationships will also change (better health). The
As more people in our population live into later life it becomes crucial that we learn more about dementia. Already in the United States there are 6.8 million people living with dementia. There are 1.8 million severely affected. Women are more likely to get dementia than men. The reason why is because they live longer. The life expectancy of a person living with dementia is to live eight to ten years. Some may even live as long as twenty years.
Patients with dementia are highly subject to psychosocial interventions. Thus, frank will tend to rely on his two children (Thomas and Jenny) and staff at the residential home for support and protection. Psychosocial model of care involves psychological therapy, which can be delivered on a one-to-one/group basis to meet important psychological needs as well as have impact on physiological level (Bartle and Frankland, 2008). These psychological therapies include Cognitive stimulation therapy (C.S.T), Reminiscence and Animal
The main motives include providing more knowledge and understanding of dementia and also its effect on behaviour as well as it progression rate. Provide carers with an impressive understanding of available local support services and how they can be accessed. It also aims at assisting in surpassing the shock relating to an initial diagnosis of dementia as well as ways to maximize life and well-being.
Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their
Although, according to Williamson, “many caregivers adapt quite well to their role” (Williamson). Before my pap started losing his memory, I didn’t realize how hard it was to watch a loved one with this disease, let alone care for a patient with Alzheimer’s. According to an article that explains a few coping strategies for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease, “caregivers of people with dementia experience high rates of clinically significant anxiety and depression” (Cooper). This article explains various emotion-focused strategies, problem-focused strategies, and dysfunction-focused strategies for those caring for a person with Alzheimer’s. An experiment was conducted on caregivers of patient who have Alzheimer’s that explains which of these strategies were
Another reason why long-term care is more beneficial for an Alzheimer’s patient’s health is because cargivers tend to become overworked. A person with any form of Dementia needs their caregiver to be alert and organized everyday of every hour; if the caregiver is overworked and frustrated the patients care could be compromised unintentionally. Caregivers must watch over every single move of their loved ones if they stay at home. Taking care of a person with Alzheimer’s is like taking care of a giant infant. In most cases Alzheimer’s patients require constant supervision to ensure they do not wander about and forget where they are going. Safety is one of the greatest concerns in careing for an Alzheimer’s patient. Most Alzheimer’s patients have confusion often and could potentially get lost if they are not in their normal surroundings. Caregiving is both mentally and physically exhausting. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the physical and mental demands on a caregiver can gradually become overwheling (Segal). The number one concern for caregivers should
There are many articles regarding caregiver depression, stress and burnout. According to Black et al. (2010), the surveys performed in their study show caregivers of people with dementia have increased reports of fatigue, helplessness, stress and onset of depression symptoms. This study sheds light on the financial burden placed upon caregivers; they can spend as much as one thousand dollars a month for prescriptions
Not only does Alzheimer’s impact the patients and their families, it also affects the medical personnel caring for them. Caretakers develop personal connections to their patients, especially their Alzheimer’s patients because they typically live in long-term care for longer periods of time. Over 60% of these employees agree that working with dementia patients can feel stressful, and because of this stress, these workers paid almost $9 billion in personal health expenses in 2011. In fact, one third of these employees admit they have signs of depression. (Johns) New methods for assisting these patients must be
It is quite frequent that one hears about all the data and statistics regarding the health care of individuals living with cognitive disorders like that of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, however; it is not often that the people who are closest to those individuals are looked into as much. Caregiving, no matter in what shape it comes in, takes it’s toll on the individual and can affect their own well-being. With the expected amount of people living with dementia going to double in the next decades, the well-being of those around them are what is going to maintain their health as much as possible. Through counseling, spouses and lovers of those affected
In addition to disasters, chronic stress can also arise from changes in employment, social relationships, or financial condition. One well-accepted model of chronic stress is the burden of providing long-term care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Learning, memory, and cognitive function progressively decline in these patients, sometimes even to the point that the patient may no longer recognize his or her spouse. Many Alzheimer’s patients require constant care for years before they die. From the time of diagnosis, about half of the patients live for another seven to eight years, which creates a tremendous amount of strain on the caregiver who watches a loved one continue to deteriorate. Caregiving also makes it difficult to establish or continue supportive social relationships outside of the home and may create changes in employment or financial status.