For Patients & Families > Caring for the Caregiver

Caring for the Caregiver

Jill and Harry Jamison* have been married for 54 years. She is 72, has five grandchildren, loves to play bridge, and takes medication for osteoporosis and high blood pressure. He is 75 and has Alzheimer’s. Diagnosed eight years ago, he now has difficulty dressing and bathing, but becomes agitated when Jill tries to help. He wakes up at night and often tries to leave the house. He is suspicious of visitors and verbally abusive to Jill. She has cared for him devotedly, but doesn’t know how she can continue.

Jill is one of the more than 6 million Americans who care for disabled elders, and her situation is all too common. Family caregivers are sometimes called the “second victims” of Alzheimer’s. Often elderly, they may suffer health problems of their own. They are at high risk for depression and may have diminished immune responses due to stress and fatigue. Social isolation and financial hardship often compound the physical and emotional burdens of providing care.

“The simple fact is that caregivers need care too,” says Laura Gitlin, Ph.D. As director of Jefferson’s Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health, Gitlin has partnered with the Farber Institute to provide individualized support services to family caregivers in their own homes. The program is based on more than 10 years of rigorous scientific research studying what caregivers need and how best to meet their needs.

A team of occupational and physical therapists visits caregivers to assess the problems they are facing -- whether it be wandering, incontinence, agitation, or any number of issues -- and develop an individualized plan to address the caregivers’ concerns. Interventions typically combine education about the disease process and the physical impairments it causes, with one-on-one training in problem-solving, communication and technical support. Whereas the physical therapist teaches proper body mechanics and safe fall-recovery techniques, the occupational therapist teaches ways to modify the home for safety, manage difficult behaviors, or engage loved ones in meaningful activities that tap into previous roles or hobbies. Adaptive equipment such as grab bars or hand-held showers may also be provided.

“These are hands-on, individualized interventions,” says Gitlin. “There is no ‘magic bullet’ for caregivers, but the occupational therapist serves a critical role in enhancing the life quality of the caregiver and their loved one.”

These interventions have been developed and tested through funds by the National Institutes of
Health and through REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health), a nationwide initiative of the National Institute on Aging. Gitlin’s group has shown that their system of tailored occupational therapy and physical therapy interventions effectively reduces the burden of caring and helps support functioning of the person with dementia. “Our focus is to teach caregivers how to care for themselves as well as how to set up their environment to enable their family member to positively engage in daily activities,” says Gitlin. “By providing families with the skills they need to face day-to-day challenges, we can help alleviate the stress they face and in turn, help them provide better care for their loved ones.”

*fictional names

For more information about these and other clinical studies being conducted by the Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health at Jefferson's College of Health Professions, please visit the Center's Web site.

You can also contact Center Director Laura.Gitlin@Jefferson.edu or call Helen Jones at (215) 503-4716.