Becoming an informal caregiver for my grandmother was not something I had anticipated happening when I moved states for work. My family was aware that my grandmother was showing signs of memory loss, but it wasn’t until my grandfather passed away that the question of who would help her around her house came up. I immediately knew I was the one family member with enough flexibility to take on the job. When I stepped into that role of informal caregiver, I suddenly noticed how many women within my family were also informal caregivers for their spouses or relatives.
Invisible Labor That Touches All Our Lives
If you stop for a moment and take a look around you, you might be surprised to see how many friends or family members in your life are caregivers themselves. According to Remedy Psychiatry Inc., 1 in 3 Americans are informal caregivers for either an elderly or disabled loved one. On top of that, 3 in 5 have a job outside of caregiving. This leaves caregivers little time to focus on their own lives or find ways to de-stress as they carry the burden of caretaking, often with little to no experience.
Care Work Is Work, But Completely Unvalued
Caregiving is somewhat of a thankless job, and no one is going to congratulate you on taking care of your own family. Jobs like this are more likely to lead to burnout, and informal caregivers are more likely to reach these high levels of stress. It can not only lead to anxiety and depression, but also to depersonalization (feelings of detachment from one’s body) and a lack of personal accomplishments.
A number of factors can contribute to this hardship, like the workload being too much, conflicting demands, and feeling a lack of control or privacy. While all demographics are able to be caregivers, women (who are also more likely to experience burnout in the workplace), Asian, and unmarried caregivers are most likely to be impacted by caregiver burnout. Such a high level of stress can have a number of consequences on caregivers’ lives and bodies. Black and LGBTQ+ caregivers experience a higher financial burden, potentially due to having a smaller support network. This high level of stress leads to an increased risk of physical illnesses in female caregivers, leading to larger gaps in health equity for men and women.
Credit: More than one-in-ten U.S. parents are also caring for an adult, Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (November 29, 2018)
The Intersection of Two Vulnerable Populations
Caregiver burnout can have serious impacts on care receivers as well. A study from the Journal of Interpersonal Violence found that informal caregivers facing depression, health issues, and burnout are more likely to perpetrate violence against their care receiver. The presence of violence from the care receiver, something that can become more common in care receivers with dementia, can be a predictor for future abuse or further violence. This shows how vital it is that we find solutions for not just the caregiver but also the care receiver.
Caregiver leave is still a new concept, but the need has become more noticeable since the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees now need more flexibility than ever and, the need for good benefits, especially for women, has become a top priority. Workday Inc is a rare company that is tackling this issue by offering caregiver leave to anyone responsible for any form of care, from children to the elderly. They provide 12 weeks of leave in a rolling 12-month period, giving the caregiver more flexibility to take care of their responsibilities and also recharge. With access to leave, we can bridge equity gaps, reduce financial burdens, and overall improve the health of both caregivers and those in their care.
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