Disabled do better if family caregiver is healthy
Physically disabled individuals who are in the care of well-adjusted family members adapt to their conditions and require fewer health care system resources.
That was the key finding in a recent study led by Timothy R. Elliott, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Caregivers who use competent problem-solving skills in handling the stress and demands of home-based care are likely to improve the health of their care recipient. In turn, the health care expense of secondary complications diminishes.
Elliott notes that the findings of the research "indicate the need to consider psychological intervention for the family members of disabled patients immediately after the onset of the condition."
The study involved 66 family member caregivers for patients with spinal cord injuries. Where caregivers solved problems impulsively or carelessly, the disabled individuals were more often diagnosed with pressure sores in follow-up evaluations.
The caregiving role often descends suddenly, imposing immediate and extreme changes in the caregiver’s personal and professional life, Elliott explains. While the study is the first to establish a link between caregivers’ problem-solving styles and the well-being of their charges, the implications for clinical practice are obvious.
"As our health care delivery system changes, there is more necessity for family members to take on the caregiving function. If the family members are unable to meet the demands of their new role, the risk of overall health care expense increases," Elliott says.
For more information, contact Timothy R. Elliott, PhD, at the University of Alabama, Birmingham: Telephone: (205) 934-3454. E-mail: [email protected].
(See also, Elliott RT, Schewchuk RM, Richards JS. Caregiver social problem-solving abilities and family member adjustment to recent-onset physical disability. Rehabilitation Psychology 1999; 44(1):104-123. Web site: www.apa.org/journals/rep.html.)
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