Oral

Who Takes Care of the Caregiver? The caregiver population includes both professionally prepared personnel(primarily nurses and their assistants) and family members who care for their charges at home. Stress has been identified as a common factor in the care of patients/clients within the health care system and patients at home. The adverse effects of stress must be addressed individually and on a community level. Health care organizations must recognize the importance of stress identification and reduction among those people professionally prepared and those interested family members who care for their family members at home. Individualized teaching of stress reduction techniques must be taught to all personnel who care for patients within the health care system and within families.

Session Objectives: 1. List at least five (5) adverse results of stress. 2. Discuss the sources and effects of specific types of stress. 3.Identify at least three (3) specific actions one can implement to reduce stress. 4. Discuss how stress affects the health care professional caregivers involved with disasters and emergencies. Discuss how stress affects caregivers involved in long term illnesses of their patients.