Understanding Caregivers, the Caregiving Experience and the Impact of Counseling and Support Interventions for Caregiver Interventions (Care Partner Counseling and Support Interventions)

There are over 40 million care partners in the United States providing unpaid care to adults and children with a disability or illness. The short and long-term effects of caregiving on the care partner can be debilitating. Many care partners are experiencing depression, isolation, anxiety, and increased stress due to caregiving responsibilities. Care partners may self-medicate, leading to substance abuse. Often the care partner becomes ill or may even die before the person they are caring for. Care partners need self-care and coping strategies. This presentation will introduce the types of caregiving personalities and the changing relationship between care partners and loved ones. In addition to helping the care partner, we need to look at the family and couple dynamics which create either a supportive environment or a stressful tug of war. A discussion of the stages of caregiving will introduce the challenges from diagnosis shock to end stage grief. An emphasis will be placed on seeing the care partner as a whole person, to help them work through their own life tasks while also providing care