The Caregiver Crisis near Woodland Hills, CA: Stress Affects Women More
When you read about discussions surrounding caregiver stress and other related topics, one thing that you’ll commonly notice is that they refer to women far more often than they refer to men. When it comes to providing home care, wouldn’t it stand to reason that stress would impact men just as much as it would affect women?
That might seem to be the case, but in reality, the vast majority of home care providers in the United States are women. In truth, about 80 percent of caregivers in this country are women. It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about home care providers who are hired and placed through an agency, or family members taking care of their loved ones.
Stress, therefore, will generally impact more women than men when it comes to being a caregiver. This can have a direct impact on their emotional health and well-being as well as their ability to continue providing quality home care to their patients, whether they are loved ones or strangers.
The levels of stress that caregivers face can reach crisis proportions, but it depends on the individual as well as the patient and his or her needs.
For the majority of family caregivers, they take on the role of caregiving because they want their loved one to be safe and healthy. They don’t want to have to worry about them living alone, or whether they might fall, or that they could not be taking care of themselves properly.
These family caregivers will likely have other responsibilities, like a job or other family obligations. That means they will have to somehow manage to get to their family member’s home, and provide the level of care that is required when they have a chance. This often means that they are running or rushing from one place to the next, trying to get all of the things done during the day that are needed. They usually tend to get less sleep as a result and this can increase the level of anxiety that they feel.
When someone doesn’t tend to their stress level properly, this can eventually lead to even more significant problems with their health. They may get sick more frequently, and it could take much longer to get healthy again.
If you know a caregiver in your family, and you notice that she’s under a lot of stress, take some time to find out what you can do to help. Don’t let her suffer in silence because not only will she be affected by it, but the patient will as well.
If you have any follow-up questions, please contact us (310) 400-6869…we are always here to assist;You are Important to Us!
Alicia Aguirre
As a Registered Nurse and primary owner of Caregiving for You, Alicia Aguirre brings over 30 years of hands-on experience as a healthcare practitioner. She began her career in 1980 as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), helping patients in a large convalescent home. In 1984 she transferred to another convalescent care center, added advanced training to her repertoire, and became an Administrator and Activity Director. Alicia worked continuously while raising her daughters, and in 2004 she earned her R.N. licensure. She wanted to make a genuine contribution in her field and to the community with her years of expertise. In 2005 she opened Caregivers U.S.A., Inc. with her daughter, Claudia. Finally, in 2009, Alicia opened Coastal House Residential Care Facility (RCF) in Santa Monica. Alicia is our head Case Manager, meeting with and assessing every client’s needs. She formulates a customized, individualized care plan and matches the appropriate caregiver with each client. During her time off, she enjoys walks at the beach with her husband of 40 years, daughters, and nephew. Alicia’s dream of having her daughters, Claudia and Eva, join her in the medical field has come true. They are carrying on Alicia’s legacy and maintaining her dream of genuinely helping others. Google
