The Price of Caregiving

When someone you love is ill or unable to care for themselves, you may find yourself taking on a caregiver role that demands time and energy. It can be a rewarding experience, knowing that your loved one is getting the care they need, and perhaps it is a chance to give back to someone who once took care of you; but caregiving can also be a stressful and isolating experience.

Over time, chronic stress will likely wear out even the most resilient people, leading to a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion termed caregiver burnout. You may feel overloaded, drained, and just unable to continue.

Some causes of caregiver burnout:

Caregivers may experience a range of emotions, depending on their relationship with the care-recipient, and severity of the recipient’s condition, among other factors. The care-recipient may need constant physical help and emotional attention, or the caregiver may have to stay extremely vigilant about new symptoms in the case of unpredictable illnesses. Some care-recipients may be suffering from a progressive illness such as Alzheimer's disease, and despite your best efforts, they may not get better. You may feel helpless, or worse, like a failure.

Caregivers must often juggle the needs of the care-recipient, as well as those of a partner or spouse, children, an employer or co-workers, and so on. Relationships are affected as you have less time to spend with the other people in your life. Perhaps it becomes difficult to commit to plans, there are last-minute cancellations when unexpected emergencies occur, or you may feel too stressed and tired to be truly present and supportive.

Direct and indirect costs of healthcare for the care-recipient can quickly add up. This includes, for example, the costs of medical equipment, transportation, or home modifications. Caregivers may have to give up employment opportunities, take a career break, or early retirement in order to care for their loved one, which further stretches their financial resources.

Sometimes, caregivers may feel that they have no choice but to take on the role. In smaller families, you may not have siblings or other relatives to share the burden of care. Where families are more spread out, caregiving responsibilities often fall to the person living closest to the care-recipient. Financial pressure may rule out alternatives like professional help. It may feel unfair, and you may feel taken for granted, or even trapped.

For symptoms and management strategies, read here.