The article, “On Pins & Needles,” is a report by The National Alliance for Caregiving on research findings focusing on the plight of caregivers. The group highlights the difficulties that these professionals experience when taking care of adults with mental illnesses in the hope that people become aware and show some understanding for them. Society may assume that the elderly are a group that suffers the most but in the real sense, their caregivers are more prone as they handle high-burden situations that are more complex nature which often leads to stress and strain. A reader who studies the report can, therefore, understand how mental illness impacts the individual patient and the family taking care of him/her. Besides highlighting on their predicament, the article also provides recommendations for the same. Also, it encourages healthcare providers, insurers, policymakers and other stakeholders in the field of medical and behavioral health to keep on working towards a harmonized care system that offers support for the caregivers.
To exploit the ability to carry out online interviews, the research is conducted using a non-probability online design that has three different illustration sources. This study design was opted after the team faced the difficulty of locating qualified caregivers in general population sample. The online interviews involve caregivers who provide care for adults with mental and emotional issues in 2015. The study seeks to explore this situation by estimating the frequency of caregiving to an individual of any age in the American population and households. It also aims to illustrate the characteristics, functions, and needs in the midst of caregivers who provide care to adults who are 18 years and above.
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The mental conditions that caregivers handle could range from moderate to serious. “On Pins & Needles” pays attention to the challenges that the caregivers must manage on a daily basis in their field. The organization focuses on eight core areas for the study which are; “Basics of the Caregiving Situation - Diagnosis Process and Main Mental Health Condition - Medication - Information Sources - Use of Services and Local Availability - Financial, Legal, and Harming Issues - Caregiver Stress and Well-being” (NAC, 2016).
According to the article, at least 8.4 million American are responsible for providing care to an adult suffering from emotional or mental issue. Most of the caregivers often have no option when it comes to caring for their loved ones. Many face financial strain and the intricacy of providing affordable care services in the patient’s community. The duration of care could last long, and this could strain the caregiver. There are times when a caregiver must provide care to more than one patient, with each displaying different degrees of distress. Many of the care recipients suffer from schizophrenia, depression, anxiety or bipolar disease. Apart from taking care of them, the caregiver at times needs to assist their loved one with at least one activity which could either be either an Activity of Daily Living (ADL) or Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL). Caregivers who care for adults with schizophrenia and bipolar mainly face compliance difficulties especially with medication. All these, together with the pain of watching a loved one unwell cause stress and physical strain to the caregivers.
Questions
Many caregivers report compliance difficulty, especially with medication. Do they get any help during these times?
How do caregivers handle compliance difficulty?
Can caregivers have unions?
Reference
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC). (February 2016). On Pins & Needles Caregivers of Adults With Mental Illness. file:///C:/Users/hp/Downloads/NAC_Mental_Illness_Study_2016_FINAL_WEB.pdf
