American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [150]
Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire
Caregivers often are so concerned with caring for another person’s needs that they lose sight of their own well-being. If you are a caregiver, answer the following questions and then do the self-evaluation to determine your level of stress.
Self-Evaluation
To determine your score:
1. For questions 5 and 15, count a No response as a Yes, and a Yes response as a No.
2. Total the number of Yes responses.
Interpreting Your Score
Chances are that you are experiencing a high degree of stress if:
• You answered Yes to question 4 or 11; or
• Your score on question 17 is 6 or higher; or
• Your score on question 18 is 6 or higher; or
• Your total score is 10 or higher
What Should You Do Now?
If you are experiencing a high degree of stress:
• Consider seeing your doctor for a checkup.
• Consider having some relief from caregiving. Ask the doctor or a social worker about caregiving resources in your community. Contact the National Family Caregivers Association (800-896-3650) and Eldercare Locator (800-677-1116), which can also direct you to caregiving resources in your area.
• Consider joining a support group in which you can learn from and share experiences with other caregivers.
Stress Relief for Caregivers
Caring for a loved one at home can be a major cause of stress for the entire household, but it is especially stressful for the caregiver. The person you are caring for may be confused, angry, or depressed. He or she may be demanding or difficult to please, making you feel inadequate, frustrated, angry, and trapped. You may feel guilty for having negative feelings. Such feelings are understandable, but you need to cope with them so you can go on. Take steps early in your caregiving to arrange for respite care.
Preventing Burnout
Caregiver burnout is physical or emotional exhaustion resulting from the prolonged stress of caregiving. The condition usually occurs gradually; the first signs and symptoms may not appear until long after you have settled into a daily caregiving routine. Burnout affects your ability to provide good quality care. Because different people have different coping abilities, burnout levels vary from person to person. Common signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout include:
• Anger or irritability
• Feeling frustrated or overwhelmed
• Lack of energy; tiring easily
• Feeling isolated
• Crying regularly
• Difficulty handling minor problems or making minor decisions
• Frequent headaches or colds
• Change in appetite
• Sleeping problems
• Skin problems such as acne or rashes
• Inability to concentrate
• Feeling anxious, depressed, or resentful
• Nervous habits (such as nail-biting, chain smoking, or overeating)
To help prevent burnout, have a dependable support system consisting of people you can talk to or visit regularly to express your feelings and discuss concerns. Many caregivers are relieved just to have someone to talk to. If nothing is done to relieve it, burnout can quickly lead to depression. If you have any symptoms of caregiver burnout, seek help from a social worker, doctor, nurse, psychologist, or professional counselor as soon as possible. A visit with your clergyperson also may help.
Relieving Stress
If you are a caregiver, respite can take a variety of forms. It may be something simple, such as enjoying a hot bath at the end of the day or watching a favorite TV show. It can be an organized program, such as adult day care, or a respite care program in which the person you are caring for goes to a health care facility for care or treatment. Or it may take the form of a respite worker or volunteer who comes to stay with the person at home. Either way, you can get away or spend some time at home alone.
Maintain your activities and relationships outside the home as much as possible. If you are employed outside the