Carer Stress Essay

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Definition of carer stress
A carer is defined as individual who provides any informal assistance, in terms of help or supervision, to another individual who has a disability or a long-term health condition. This assistance has been, or is likely to be, ongoing for at least six months1. In 2012, 29% of the almost 2.7 million Australian carers were identified as primary carers1. On average, carers spend 40 hours or more per week providing unpaid assistance to others with a severe or profound level of disability and this was more likely to be the case for female(42%) than male primary carers (33%)1,2.
Carer stress is a state of exhaustion brought by the prolonged stress as a result of the burden caregiving, as perceived by the caregiver on their …show more content…

Emotionally, carergivers may feel frustrated or angry when taking care of someone with dementia with behavioural issues. Stress may also exist in a form of guilt because they think that they should be able to provide better care, despite all the other things that they have …show more content…

Simple things like cooking extra portions and freezing them so they can re-heat something when they are tired can make a difference in time management. Asking for help is another essential part of care-giving. Carers should readily ask for and accept help when needed. They should be prepared with a mental list of ways that others can help them. This could be simple task such as getting someone else to take the person they care for on a walk a couple times a week or picks up some groceries for them. Getting friends or family members to do specific task for example walking the dog or running errands, may help to reduce the carer burden. Caring for someone else may also lead to a financial burden. If carer needs financial help taking care of a relative, they should not be afraid to ask family members to contribute their fair share. Creating a support system and asking for assistance ultimately makes them a better

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