When the caregiver needs care: the plight of vulnerable caregivers

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the characteristics, activities, and challenges of high-risk informal caregivers.

Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with a nationally representative cross-section of 1002 informal caregivers. Vulnerable caregivers with poor health or a serious health condition were compared with nonvulnerable caregivers.

Results: Thirty-six percent of caregivers were vulnerable. Compared with nonvulnerable caregivers, vulnerable caregivers were more likely to have difficulty providing care, to provide higher-intensity care, to report that their physical health had suffered since becoming a caregiver, to be aged 65 years or older, to be married, and to have less than 12 years of education.

Conclusions: Reliance on informal caregivers without considering the caregiver's ability to provide care can create a stressful and potentially unsafe environment for the caregiver and the care recipient.