What does it mean to be a “caregiver”?

What does it mean to be a “caregiver”?

The challenge of being a caregiver is taking on
tasks that you never expected and may have
had no preparation for.

A caregiver is someone who helps another person to
do things that ordinarily he would be able to do by
himself. There are professional caregivers such as
nurses and nursing attendants who provide this care as
a formal service for pay. Then there are the millions of
informal caregivers, including family members and
friends, who provide this assistance without expecting
to be paid a fee. Done out of love, friendship, or duty,
the rewards for these informal caregivers are not monetary,
even though the value of the care was an estimated
$350 billion in 2006 and $375 billion in 2007,
according to the AARP Public Policy Institute.

Stated in such a way, it would seem that a “caregiver”
provides practical assistance only with the activities of
daily living. In reality, the role is much broader. A caregiver
often has the responsibility of coordinating the
person’s medical needs and appointments. This coordination
may include finding the right doctors to diagnose
and treat the disease, helping the patient get to
the best places to provide medical treatment, and, if
needed, then accessing and utilizing rehabilitative
therapies after treatment. And just as importantly, the
caregiver monitors the person’s emotional well-being,
providing direct support or helping him or her to get
counseling as needed.

Counseling = Mental health therapy with a professionally
trained therapist.

Caregivers, therefore, fulfill a wide range of functions
by identifying and helping to meet the needs of the
person with cancer. If you see yourself as a caregiver,
your roles can vary widely and may include being a
partner, acting as a nurse, a housekeeper, a cook, a psychologist,
a chauffeur, a secretary, or performing
another role. Sometimes, you may not know which
role to play at any given time. The challenge of being
a caregiver is taking on tasks that you never expected
and may have had no preparation for. Being asked to
do something that you do not feel competent to handle
can be frightening and frustrating. Being asked to
do ten new things for a loved one, and not knowing
when or if you’ll ever be relieved of the responsibility
for doing them, can be a source of significant stress
and tension. However, preparing yourself—reading
this book, investigating other resources, and discussing
these duties with medical care professionals—can
reduce anxiety associated with caregiver responsibilities.
The first step is knowing that there is information,
emotional support, and other services available to
help you if you feel overwhelmed.