Care for the Caregiver
- December 2002
The task of providing care to someone with a chronic illness or disability is a lonely one. How can a caregiver, usually a husband or wife caring for a spouse, or adult child caring for a parent, feel emotionally supported through a part of their lives that can go on for years? There are community services available for the person with the illness or disability, but very few supports are in place to offer breathing space and rejuvenation to the caregiver.
With that in mind, the Niagara Health System is offering the Caregivers Group, a combined therapeutic and educational support group specifically developed for caregivers in the community. This program is open to anyone in the Niagara Region, regardless of whether they have been hospital patients or not.
The six-week sessions are offered as soon as eight people are registered, and they meet once a week for one and a half hours. "The group is open to caregivers who have loved ones living at home, in a long term care facility or hospital and who need some support to help them deal with their anxieties," explains Trish Shaw, Social Worker with the Niagara Health System.
The stress of dealing with a spouse or parent suffering from a debilitating illness or increasing dementia is very high, Trish says. "We see husbands, wives and adult children who know they will have to place their spouse or parent in a long term care facility eventually, and the guilt associated with that is enormous. There is also a great deal of depression, and concern for the future."
The Caregivers Group offers an informal setting through which people at a similar point in their lives can express their concerns and feelings, and learn how to better cope with their situation. "We offer education as well as support in helping them deal with loss and change in responsibility and roles," Trish explained. "The first time out, the group members are naturally anxious. What I have found happens is that the caregiver has a lot of issues that he or she doesn't want to burden family members with, and this group allows the caregiver to express those anxieties and to learn to deal with them."
Over subsequent sessions the group members begin to bond, and offer support to each other. "One of the key elements of the group is to educate the members about the services available in their communities. "We really do have a lot of services in Niagara that we all know about, but different towns and cities offer different services, and the members can fill in some blanks for the group."
How can potential group members be referred? "Individuals can self-refer. All it takes is a phone call. A lot of our referrals come from Community Care Access Niagara, whose homecare workers are in the homes delivering services, and see firsthand the needs of the caregiver. Other health care professionals such as social workers, case managers, therapists, nurses, physicians also refer.
"I make it a point to contact every potential member by telephone first, to discuss the group with him or her and to make sure there is a fit," Trish said. "This is the first step of connecting with them and easing their anxiety."
While the main focus is on the elderly, there are a number of parents of children with chronic illness or disability who have really benefitted from the program. "Sometimes, even a neighbour or friend is delivering a lot of personal care to a sick person," Trish says. "We don't exclude anyone who is in a caregiving capacity."
Based on demand for the Caregivers Group, the sessions, currently offered at Shaver & Niagara Rehab Site, could be offered at other NHS sites. "If we get several members from Welland or Niagara Falls or beyond, we can certainly look at offering six-week sessions at those sites."
There is no charge for the sessions. For more information, please contact Trish Shaw at 905-685-1381 ext. 4246, or Nasim Banu Ahmed at ext. 5273.