"More than 70 per cent of the caregivers in our study reported that they were happy about caregiving or had positive feelings towards at least one aspect of it," says lead author Dr. Carole Cohen of the University of Toronto's psychiatry department and Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre. "These positive feelings were associated with less depression and sense of burden and better self-reported health among caregivers - an improvement in many of the common risk factors associated with caring for the elderly."
The study, published in the February issue of the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, involved interviews with 289 people caring for seniors who were part of the Canadian Study on Health and Aging. Almost 70 per cent of the caregivers were women, with an average age of 64 years old. The average age of seniors under their care was 84. About 210 of the caregivers could identify at least one specific positive aspect of the experience, while another 20 identified more than one. Some of the positives included feelings of companionship, fulfillment, enjoyment and the satisfaction of meeting an obligation and providing quality of life to people.
Knowledge of caregivers' degree of positive feeling can assist professionals in determining risk factors and needs. "Caregivers who cannot identify any positive aspects of caring may be at particular risk for depression and poor health outcomes," she says. "They also may be more at risk of institutionalizing their care recipient than others." The study was funded by Health Canada.
CONTACT: Professor Carole Cohen, Department of Psychiatry, 416-480-4663, carole.cohen@swchsc.on.ca
Journal
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry