Premium Essay

Caregiver Research Papers

Submitted By
Words 516
Pages 3
The hardest job I have ever had to do is be a caregiver. The past nine years it has been my responsibility to care for my chronically ill wife and my thirteen-year-old son. Beginning in Two thousand and eight my wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Soon, after that in two thousand and ten she was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome, that resulted in a bone marrow transplant. In October of two thousand and thirteen she was diagnosed with fast spreading breast cancer. She passed away from complications of these illnesses in November of twenty fourteen. Sixteen months later my son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia also resulting in a bone marrow transplant. Some of the intellectual demands are providing physical care, emotional, spiritual help. The physical care of the patient. The care for a cancer patient is very rigorous and sometimes a very complicated process. Starting with keeping up with getting the patient to and from doctor appointments. These appointments can be weekly, and some may require daily visits. Along with these appointments you have the …show more content…
This is just another part of being a caregiver. The patient needs will increase as they go through treatment. From time to time the emotional support can be as simple as just listening, reassurance, and even the piece of mind someone is there. Many cancer patients become emotionally unstable due to the treatments. The spiritual support helps many people cope with cancer. Their spirit gets down due to the loss of control. When someone steps in as a caregiver they pretty much take over the daily life of that person. The patient can feel they have no real meaning or ability to do anything in the life. They will start to question why me. In some situations, they begin to doubt their reason for living. It has been proven that the survival rate is greatly affected by the persons emotional and spiritual state of

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Reflection on Elderly Care

...Term Papers, Essays and Research Documents The Research Paper Factory "" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; border: 0px;"> JoinSearchBrowseSaved Papers "" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; border: 0px;"> Reflective Writing“Being a caregiver of senior people is a challenge” this is my contemplation after I went to the field visit. I observed a numerous of learning situations in the area of aged care facilities. I explored myself with the permition of my facilitator to look around and have a little time conv ersation to elderly people. As the exploration and observation going trough I found out that communicating with the elderly people is a difficult process and a challenge to the caregiver that may impact to implement the system of care. Communication is one of the barrier that results in difficulty and stress between caregivers and elderly patient. This may vary in different ways such as cultures, languages and lose of some forms of functionality   (Edwards & Chapman 2004 and Smith et al., 2010). Base on my knowledge of learning and experienced of visiting nursing home; I will finish by reflecting the significance of this assignments and the suggestion of giving care for elderly people and coping stress of a caregiver. ...

Words: 408 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Sensitive Mothering Is Essential to the Social and Emotional Development of the Child. Discuss This Statement in the Context of Relevant Developmental Theory.

...to show an understanding of the internal working model of attachment and how sensitive mothering impacts on the quality of attachment. (25) - Outline Bowlby’s theory of attachment, showing evidence of how the ethological studies of Harlow and Lorenz, and his own research with war orphans and evacuees and juvenile delinquents impacted his theory. - Determine the phases of attachment and the development of the internal working model of attachment. - Consider Ainsworth’s research and the types of secure and insecure attachments that resulted from the research. - This needs to be linked back to mothering style and the internal working model of attachment that each infant is developing. Links also need to be made to Erikson’s relevant psychological stages of personality development, emphasising the importance of a supportive social environment. (15) - Consider Erikson’s psychosocial theory of personality, especially the first stage, and link to mothering style and the internal working model of attachment that each infant is developing. Consider research that determines how early attachment impacts on the social and emotional development of three to five year olds and adults. (20) - Look at research undertaken with 3-5 year olds and how early attachment impacts social interactions, and also the adult attachment...

Words: 2721 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Attachment Theory

...poor or social and emotional development are at risk of experiencing poor relationships with peers, academic problems and can lead them into involvement in unsociable activities or crime. Research suggests the key to social and emotional development lies in the child’s early relationship with parents and caregivers. It is believed that children develop and thrive better when they are brought up in an environment where the caregiver satisfies a child’s needs physically and emotionally. Throughout the Late 1930s and 1940s a psychologist John Bowlby investigated the nature and the purpose of the close relationships that a person forms with people throughout their lives, in particular, childhood. He researched the making and breaking of bonds to understand the psychological behaviour and social and emotional development of human being (Howe, 1995, P46). As a result of these investigations and studies Bowlby developed a theory called the ‘Attachment Theory’. The basis of this theory is that “the infant and young child should experience warm, intimate and continuous relationships between the child and the mother” (Steele, 2002, State of the art: Attachment). Bowlby’s attachment theory hypothesis that humans have some biological need to develop a close loving bond with their mothers, or caregiver. This bond develops within the first year of the child’s life, and if the bond is not developed or the bond is broken, the child’s emotional development may suffer. (Davenport, 1994, P9)...

Words: 2891 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Alzheimer's Disease

...However, individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease may forget things more often, but they do not remember them again. The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease has dramatically increased because people are living longer. This is a result of advancements in medical technology that are increasing the human life span. That being said, now there is more responsibility placed on the individual and their caregivers to provide a supportive environment to combat this disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual, irreversible cognitive deterioration. The individual experiences a significant decline in their memory, language skills, perception of space and eventually, their ability to be self-sufficient and independent. Alzheimer’s disease takes a toll on the patients as well as their caregivers. “Being a caregiver for an ill or disabled loved one is widely recognized as a threat to caregiver’s quality of life” (Poulin et al 2010). The diagnosis of this disease affects the caregivers on physical, psychological, and social levels. Family, friends, and caregivers suffer from pain and stress as they witness their loved one experiencing the progression of the disease. Background “Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for about 60% of all diagnosed cases” (Tampi 2006). The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is gradual. In the earlier stages, patients experience mild impairments, like learning new information or remembering where they...

Words: 3180 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Legal and Ethical Aspects of Assisted Suicide

...Legal and Ethical aspects of Assisted Suicide Paula Nehrling Grand Canyon University Introduction to Nursing Research NRS-433V Angie Lawson May 01, 2016 Legal and Ethical aspects of Assisted Suicide Only five states in the US have legalized physician assisted death. California is the latest to legalize this and it will be available here in less than a month. There are many legal and ethical questions that nurses have. Some feel like this is murder or against their religious beliefs and others feel like people should have the right to die with dignity. The Oregon death with dignity act was passed more than 20 years ago in 1994, though legal challenges delayed enactment until 1997. Washington followed in 2008, since this time, Montana and Vermont has passed laws supporting physician assisted death. California has passed legislation and will begin next month (Ganzini, L., 2016). The process is very similar in each of these states. They allow a competent adult resident of that state to obtain a prescription from a physician for a lethal dose of medication, for the purposes of causing death through self administration. The law does not allow lethal injection or allow individuals to acquire a lethal prescription through advanced directive to be used when mentally incapable in the future. There are also limits as to when the prescription can be written. Two physicians, one of whom writes the prescription, must confirm that the...

Words: 2149 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Caring for Caregivers: Movie Review "Amour"

...Caregivers of Dementia patients Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. Caused by problematic supply of blood to the brain, symptoms include challenging communication, depression and anxiety, strokes, physical weakness or paralysis, confusion, changes in behaviour and difficulties in walking and unsteadiness. This paper discusses the problems faced by caregivers of patients suffering from vascular dementia who are above the age of 65 and possible recommendations to improve their plight through the review of the movie, Amour (a movie about an octogenarian couple, Georges and Anne, where Anne develops vascular dementia) and current literature pertaining to the topic. Georges “Put yourself in my place. Didn’t you ever think it could happen to me, too? Anne: “Of course I did. But imagination and reality have little in common.” Anne’s sudden speech arrest and frozen stare at the breakfast table with no recollection afterward are the first signs of a partial seizure. Caregivers, like Georges, who are not prepared for looking after patients are under pressure because of their increasing needs. Georges does not seem to mind this responsibility of taking care of her initially, but Anne’s condition deteriorates fast. She experiences profound right sided weakness and is bound to the wheelchair. Georges struggles to lift her from the wheelchair and make her sit on a chair or go the bathroom. Increased stress in his behaviour is...

Words: 1846 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Infant Mental Health Critical Review

...Mental Health Critical Review Abstract In this critical review, the newspaper article being reviewed is Infant mental health: Giving children the best head start, is described and summarized. The topic being discussed is infant mental health and how they should be receiving satisfactory care from their caregivers at an early age. Infant mental health can be defined as a field that studies the parent caregiver relationships and inner lives of infants. In agreement with this article, five scholarly academic sources arguments and findings are observed. This paper shows a critical review of infant mental health; the brain’s plasticity through a critical period and the importance of supportive infant-caregiver relationships that produce positive experiences for infants and further their developmental capabilities ultimately, helping them grow better. It also highlights the reality that the society as a whole is involved in providing better environmental influences for infants in order to supply them with a better future. Recommendations for future research and unanswered questions in infant mental health are made in response to the need of support of caregivers and the society. The news article, Infant mental health: Giving children the best head start, emphasizes the importance of the first 1000 days of an infant’s life (2015). Adulthood is shaped and impacted by our early experiences (D’alton, 2015). Professor Kevin Nugent is an expert of early child development, specifically...

Words: 2379 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Wgu Nut 1 Task 2

...NUT1 Task 2 A. Increase in Quality of Care Electronic Medical Records (EMR) can increase quality of care in many ways. Unlike paper records, EMR is available to multiple members of the healthcare team in different locations, all at the same time. EMR makes it easy for caregivers to have all of a new patient’s previous visit information at their fingertips, which can help with obtaining a more accurate history upon admission. An accurate history will help caregivers make better decisions when planning a patient’s care. Because records are stored in a database instead of on paper, they are safe from natural disasters, forgery, loss, or damage. Many, many years of records can be stored in a relatively small space, which will negate the need for rows and rows of filing cabinets, and microfiche. This makes them easier to manage and retrieve. Less paper also means neater workspaces and better organization in the workplace, and because records are available on the database from multiple locations, the need for faxing or mailing records is decreased, increasing security. EMR can also be used to collect data for Quality Improvement processes, and an EMR system can have pop-up alerts built in to notify caregivers of best practices, allergies, and drug interactions. EMR’s that also have a medication bar code scanning system built in will help to reduce med errors by alerting nurses to wrong patient/wrong dose/ wrong time errors. Electronic Medical Records can reduce patient’s wait...

Words: 1796 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Falling and Mobility

...like stroke puts the elderly people at risk. However, stroke survivors are at greater risk of falling specifically while walking or with activities of daily living. The use of assistive devices such as walker, cane, and wheelchair to increase their function also puts them at risk when not used correctly (Nazarko, 2012). Stroke survivors and their caregivers have several ideas with regards to mobility and fall instances. The experiences of stroke survivors and their caregivers towards fall and mobility is critically analyzed using a qualitative study in this paper (Kelley, 2010). According the reviewed article falling and Mobility Experience of Stroke Survivors and Spousal caregivers’, the clinical problem leading to this study as identified by the authors is the stroke survivors’ high risk for fall while performing walking or performing activities of daily living. Complete or partial disability as a result stroke has been linked to high risk for fall. The authors noted that limited studies exist about stroke survivors and caregivers issues of falling or general mobility. They also added that when the stroke survivors and caregivers opinions concerning mobility were well comprehended, that there will be a reduced rate of fall while carrying out the activities of daily living. Concurrently, this will reduce fall risk, and avoid additional disability with enhanced prognosis post stroke. The authors showed that balance and gait deficits are the leading...

Words: 957 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Values and Ethics in the Workplace

...Informal Caregivers Theresa A. Patterson Mount Aloysius College Abstract Informal caregivers, or family members who provide care to their physically or cognitively impaired relatives, are leading providers of services to elderly individuals. However, caregivers frequently experience symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety. Also, caregivers may suffer from physical or psychological distress as a result of these symptoms. The author examined the effects of depression, stress and anxiety and suggested an assessment instrument to gauge levels of anxiety. In addition, strengths and limitations of this approach were delineated. The author hypothesized that caregivers would exhibit higher anxiety scores than non-caregivers. This hypothesis was tested by comparing a group of informal caregivers to a group of non-caregivers. Furthermore, recommendations for reduction of stress and anxiety symptoms were made. Anxiety Scores of Informal Caregivers Family members of elderly, impaired individuals in the United States provide the majority of necessary daily care for their relatives (Sheehan & Nuttall, 1988). These caregivers may be described as informal: individuals who provide unpaid care to a friend or family member out of love and respect for the impaired person (George & Gwyther, 1986). Unfortunately, many caregivers reported significant stress, depression and anxiety (Sheehan & Nuttall, 1988). Research demonstrated a correlation between caregivers’ depressive...

Words: 6639 - Pages: 27

Free Essay

Elderly Care

...Literature Review: ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Elderly Care Introduction: Approximately 90% of people who take advantage of the elderly are their own family members. Elder abuse has a negative impact on the victimized elders worldwide. It is defined as intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm (whether or not harm is intended) to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trust relationship to the elder. This includes failure by a caregiver to satisfy the elder’s basic needs or to protect the elder from harm (Bonnie, R, & Wallace, R Eds., 2003). Although there is a lack of statistical information of elder abuse, there are sources that provide proof that elder abuse is a bigger issue than people perceive it to be. It can occur in many forms such as physical, emotional, financial and sexual abuse. In this paper, the question being investigated is “How knowledgeable are Barbadians on the effects of elder abuse?” The following literature reviews attempts to answer this question. Review of Findings: Each literature piece that has been reviewed pointed out that elder abuse is a major issue and is a topic that is given little recognition or response. According to Penny Bain and Charmaine Spencer, 2014, about 80% of abuse or neglect of older adults is hidden or goes undetected in Canada. Only about one in five cases of abuse come to the attention...

Words: 1065 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Identifying Barriers to Pain Management in Long-Term Care

...Identifying Barriers to Pain Management in Long-Term Care Nursing research is critical to the nursing profession and is important for promoting optimal nursing care based on the latest research findings. Critiquing research reports is important because it promotes a complete examination of the study that allows the critique to judge its strengths, weaknesses, logical relationships, meanings, and significance of the findings. The purpose of this paper is to provide an objective critique of the research report “Identifying barriers to pain management in long-term care” with a focus on five dimensions: substantive and theoretical dimension, methodological dimension, ethical dimension, interpretive dimension, and presentation and stylistic dimension. Title The title of this report was appropriate and clear. It communicated the research problem (identifying barriers to pain management) and the study population (long term care residents).The information was conveyed in only nine words communicating the independent variable (the barriers), the dependent variable (pain management), and the study population (residents with chronic pain in long term care facilities). It could be argued that something about the health-related quality of life should have been included in the title making it a little bit longer but more explicit. Abstract The abstract written with subheadings was excellent, summarizing the major features of the study. It presented the aim of the study, the methods...

Words: 2148 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Overcoming Worries To Enable Relief Model

...Three articles (Cagel, et.al., 2015; Mayahara, Foreman, Wilbur, Paice, & Fogg, 2014; Oliver, et. al., 2013) focused on pain management from the perspective of the family caregiver and gathered their data from them. One of these was a randomized controlled trial where family caregivers were assessed about their specific concerns on pain management and treatment and staff was trained based on the Effective Management of Pain: Overcoming Worries to Enable Relief (EMPOWER) model. The two hospice centers who were trained with EMPOWER used this to improve their treatment of pain and after a set amount of time, the control group was compared to the group that received the intervention. Check-ups were done with the EMPOWER group and compared to the control group and significant amounts of positive outcomes were shown. There was a decrease in patient pain, caregiver barriers in management, and caregivers felt more educated at the conclusion of the trial about effective pain management for their patient. (Cagel, et.al.,...

Words: 1783 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal: Topic Selection

...Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal: Topic Selection Amanda Reese NUR/598 June 16, 2015 Patricia Dehof Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal: Topic Selection Dementia is a broad spectrum umbrella word that encompasses many disorders that affect a patient and memory loss. There is Alzheimer’s type dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, delirium and more. As the general population in the United States gets older dementia becomes more and more of a problem. Generally speaking healthcare staff is not adequately educated and trained in dementia and the proper treatment of patients. There are several courses that are offered but there are very few policy and procedures in health care facilities regarding training people to care for dementia patients, and there are very few dementia programs within hospital settings. Topic Selection The topic selection for this paper is the need for dementia programs and policy and procedure related to the care of the dementia patient. The goal for the facilities would be to establish a care team that would be knowledgeable in the care of the different types of dementia. The team would be able to educate families as well as staff and be a resource. A team could examine the best ways to prevent injury to the patients that are in an unfamiliar hospital care environment and help work with the family to aid in the transition between home, the hospital and back again. With the knowledge the team has they can institute a policy and familiarize...

Words: 404 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Efficacy of Aba Intervention Research: Can You Trust It?

...Efficacy of ABA intervention research: Can you trust it? Isaac Lynn Abstract Autism interventions are loudly proclaimed to be effective, yet evidence-based research is often non-existent. In the absence of quality research, interventions such as the most widely utilized in autism, ABA, is touted to be absolutely effective and possibly the only answer for gains to be made in changing autism. Unfortunately, this may diminish the ability of the individual with autism to change in a positive manner. Additionally, immense monetary bills compound the problem. Caregivers may even bankrupt themselves trying to save their child or family member paying high premiums for ABA services that may or may not actually effectively change or manage behaviors of individuals with autism. This paper will discuss whether or not ABA research actually proves the effectiveness of ABA interventions. ABA interventions are defined as “those in which the principles of learning theory are applied in a systematic and measurable manner to increase, reduce, maintain and/or generalize target behaviors” (Education, 2007). ABA includes methodology such as reinforcement of target behaviors, shaping and chaining new behaviors, fading inappropriate behaviors, response and stimulus prompting, discrimination training, programming new behaviors, ideas and attitudes...

Words: 821 - Pages: 4