As if caregivers needed more proof of the difficulty and impact of their efforts, a recent study reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in early July, 2003, that caregiving can affect negatively the caregiver’s immune system.
The stress of nurturing can damage the caregiver’s system, and could lead to early death. The study was conducted with Alzheimer’s patient caregivers but suggests that the results will apply to caregivers of other patients.
Researchers at Ohio State University and at the University of North Carolina found that the suppressed immune system lingered for as long as three years after the patient’s illness was resolved.
The study’s results imply that for their own good, caregivers need to nurture themselves as well as their patient. Caregivers who need assistance—and they all do—should talk to their social worker and seek out other resources through books, web sites, support groups, and family members.
Organizations that focus on caregivers are:
Family Caregiver Alliance:
www.caregiver.org
National Family Caregivers Assoc.: www.nfcacares.org
National Alliance for Caregiving: www.caregiving.org
Today’s Caregiver: www.caregiver.com
