This HealthinAging article on Caregiver Health: Basic Facts and Information, discusses the various ways that caregivers provide care, including caring for a spouse with health issues, a child with special needs, or a parent with dementia.
Although many caregivers experience positive benefits from caregiving, most caregivers experience stress and are at higher risk for a variety of health issues, such as increased illness, chronic stress, and an inability to meet personal and emotional needs. Some of the signs that a caregiver is stressed and in need of help may include exhaustion, insomnia, depression and self-neglect. As a caregiver, it’s important to engage others in providing care, to seek help, and to take time for self care.
HealthinAging.org was created by the American Geriatrics Society's Health in Aging Foundation to provide consumers and caregivers with up-to-date information on health and aging.