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Draft peer review response lashonda 250 words

The Pitfalls of Caregiving

This interesting read will take you on a journey that will enable you to see through the eyes of a caregiver. Most who fulfill this role never anticipated finding themselves standing in such great shoes, but choose to do so out of compassion. Regardless, caregivers across the nation have felt the overwhelming pressure to manage the legal, medical, spiritual, financial needs etc. of those who are in their care. Caregiving plays an important role in determining the quality of life of the elderly population. Caregivers are faced with managing the day-to-day affairs of those they care for while navigating the challenges that come along with meeting their vast array of needs. Ultimately, caregivers, professionals, and others who care for the elderly must become creative in helping those who are considered vulnerable continue to thrive. When people come together for the benefit of another, everyone is bound to benefit (Fraser, 2020)

The Emotional Barriers

One of the challenges with caregiving is keeping human connection alive even beyond a state of crisis (Fraser, 2020). As a caregiver, one can tend to forget the emotional rollercoaster seniors experience as they unwillingly most times give up control of their independence. In addition, as the elderly age they tend to battle health issues which can send them into a whirl of depression. Some seniors are even forced out of their home due to not being able to live on their own. When what is familiar is snatched away from seniors, it can certainly take it’s toll. However, when people feel valued and are supported, they tend to thrive (Fraser, 2020).

Furthermore, when it comes to caregiving, the individuals entrusted with this journey must exhibit ethical and moral behavior (Knight, 1994). This not only goes for the caretaker, but those involved in their care as well. Another issue that was brought to the forefront is the caregiver’s level of competency. It’s essential that while managing the affairs of another, one is competent enough to do so and understands how to access available resources (Knight, 1994).

The Legal Barriers1

With age comes legal frustrations. For seniors who don’t have a will, this task can feel like a heavy weight as it forces them to consider death long before it may even occur. In addition, when seniors apply for Medicaid, they may even be forced to place their money or other personal items into a trust which often requires them to hire an attorney. To qualify for many of the governmental programs, the elderly are usually force to downgrade their assets or to give them away. Also, many seniors don’t like to think about death. If they are old school so to speak, they didn’t talk about dying and failed to make arrangements for their departure from this life. This oftentimes leaves a burden on the caregiver. If the aging person gets life insurance late in life, these policies tend to cost several hundreds per month and only offer limited coverage. If the person had no coverage at all, then the family is usually forced to do cremation or raise money to cover the cost of costly funeral arrangements. It is not uncommon for an elderly person to pass away without a will which equally adds to further frustration. It’s frequently that we might here of property being tied up in probate and siblings fighting over tangible items left behind. Going to court cost money and precious time and having to battle it out with others who are in a state of greed will most times cost caregivers their peace. 

The Financial Barriers.

One of the challenging factors of aging is that depending on the type of care, it can be financially draining. Some seniors end up in long term care which depletes their income. Other seniors may elect to stay at home, but are still forced to pay for private care duty. What do families do when they cannot afford to pay someone to come in? In some instances, families are forced to install cameras and leave their loved ones for several hours while they attempt to maintain their full-time jobs. For others, when their loved ones are sick, they are forced to take off work, eating away at their vacation time, and often leaving them without pay. This is not a guess, this is reality for many caregivers struggling to keep their loved ones at home. There are very few State programs that cover the cost for someone to come in and the one’s available have long waiting lists and strict guidelines. Ultimately, the elderly person’s financial burdens now become that of the caregivers. Items like paying for simple necessities such as Depend Diapers cost a fortune or even nutritional drinks such as Ensure tend to rack up in costs. If the loved one is on a special diet to health conditions, then can cause for a double increase in grocery bills. To be expected, everything tends to increase. The light bill goes up, the grocery bill goes up, the amount of gas used to go to doctor appointments goes up etc.

Healthcare Barriers.

It’s been proven that happy patients typically recover faster (Fraser, 2020). Some physicians treat the upper aged seniors as though they have already lived a full life and so they don’t treat them as they would someone who is in their thirties. Our government for decades has been scrambling to figure out how to deal with our aging population (Medina, 2009). It seems we hear so much about what needs to be done, but very rarely are we hearing viable solutions being presented. Long ago, seniors used to be a high priority of society, valued, and the governmental structures that were in place supported this statement (Medina, 2009). As a matter of fact, there were Acts such as “The Older American Act” that were put into place to ensure expectations were made known as to how to treat the aging (Medina, 2009). There has somehow become a shift in what and who people value. It appears less and less is being done to preserve the qualify of life for seniors. Policies and regulations are also tying the hands of those who assist with the care and final life stages of this frail population.

In conclusion, it appears that society does not have the necessary solutions needed to help the elderly thrive until they are no longer stable enough to do so. Health professionals and caregivers find themselves with their hands tied on many instances walking away drained and feeling defeated. Most caregivers lose themselves in the process of caring for others and many doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, etc. tend to feel burn out because of continuously running into brick walls or dealing with difficult patients. The one thing that is seen and has been proven is that when people feel as though they are priority and are gifted with presence, it helps them to live longer happier lives even if it’s just for a short while. Some of the pressures caregivers and professionals tend to face may be inevitable, but with the help of ethical and compassionate people their load can be made lighter. How the elderly are cared for will ultimately impact their quality of life so it’s beneficial to re-evaluate the systems, policies, and processes currently in place. When a society as a whole works together to ensure those who cannot care for themselves are cared for, a community thrives. At this point, the true value and ethical system of a nation comes to life and cannot be ignored.

References

Fraser, J. (2020). Singing outside the box: caring for the elderly during the crisis. Journal of Community Nursing, 34(3), 18–20.

Knight, J. A. (1994). Ethics of care in caring for the elderly. Southern Medical Journal, 87(9), 909. https://doi-org.proxy.ccis.edu/10.1097/00007611-199409000-00010

Medina, C. (2009). America the Grayt: A Quick History of Government’s Role in Caring for the Elderly. Texas Public Health Journal, 61(1), 36–37.