A population-based perspective on caregiving: Research and practice

Caregiving has traditionally been addressed by psychology, sociology, and social work with very limited attention to population-based public health outcomes of caregiving. As a result of the increase in caregiving across generations and the psychosocial, economic, and health outcomes associated with caregiving we must address this phenomenon as an emerging public health issue.

Informal or family caregivers spend significant amounts of time and energy caring for their loved ones. Caregiving is often conceptualized as care provided to older adults. However, there is an increase in the number of seniors and other relatives who are providing care for children and adults with mental illness and other health problems.

While the issue of ethnicity can never be eliminated from discussions on factors influencing caregiver health, the unbalanced occurrence of adverse health conditions is not contained within ethnic boundaries; it affects people categorized by economic status, rural living and age. For example, in many rural communities, a decline in the availability of medical care has increased the importance of informal caregiving in meeting the needs of care recipients.

The value of unpaid caregiving has been estimated at 257 billion dollars annually. It has been well documented that caregivers make significant contributions; however, the negative effects of long term caregiving have resulted in the need for programs of research to improve caregiver health and quality of life, caregiving processes, and caregiving effectiveness. This presentation will provide an overview of the characteristics, needs, best practices and implications of caregiving for public health research and practice.