Caregiver Issues

Caregiver syndrome or caregiver stress is a condition of exhaustion, anger, rage, or guilt that results from unrelieved caring for a chronically ill dependent.[1] The term is often used by healthcare professionals, but it is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Almost 66 million Americans are providing care to those who are ill, aged, and/or disabled for an average of 39.2 hours per week. Over 13 million caregivers are also caring for their own children as well. Caregiver syndrome is acute when caring for an individual with behavioral difficulties, such as: fecal incontinence, memory issues, sleep problems, wandering, and aggression. Typical symptoms of the caregiver include: fatigue, insomnia, stomach complaints, and so on, with the most common symptom being depression. Roughly 70% of caregivers suffer from depression. Due to the deterioration (both physical and mental) of these caregivers, health professionals have given this condition a name, caregiver syndrome or "caregiver fatigue".