Preventing Caregiver Abuse Essay

The term c argiver is used to refer to an individual who assists another who cannot act freely due to certain chronic conditions. There are dickens main types of wishgivers the informal caregivers are family members or sympathetic friends who care for impaired older people living at home. The formal caregivers, on the other hand, are hired or volunteer workers who are connected either with the health care systems or social service agencies.The tasks associated with caregiving are grouped under deuce categories, namely the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). Included under ADLs are activities like getting in or out of bed, fetching a bath, getting dressed, and the general toilet use. IADLs, on the other hand, may include meal preparation, general household chores, grocery shopping, and the management of the care liquidators medication (Nerenberg, 2002).Studies have shown that the greatest negative consequence to caregiving is stress which is believed possessd by fatigue due to lack of sleep, improper nutrition, and lack of exercise. Stress is as well as believed caused by the burden being experienced by caregivers. This burden increases as the level of disability of the care receiver increases, thereby needing a greater consummation of care. some(a) quarters suspect that stress is one of the main reasons for caregivers to go over the edge and consequently abuse their patients (Nerenberg, 2002). For others, however, stress is not a cause but merely an aggravating factor.Abuse, which does not only mean physical injury but excessively includes mental anguish, unreasonable confinement, sexual abuse or exploitation, or financial exploitation of defenseless older people, are believed by most to be caused by factors like the caregivers frustration, sense of isolation, poor support from the community, behavior of the care receiver, and the nature of his or her daily tasks (Bratteli, 2003). Bratteli (2003) offered several legal remedies which are expected to prevent caregiver abuse in care facilities, namely The care receiver should accomplish a Financial Power of Attorney, a legal document which would appoint his or her attorney-in-fact who will attend to his or her financial matters. This is usually a trusted relative or friend, the appointment of whom will prevent financial exploitation especially when the care receiver is staying in an institution. Accomplishment of a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. This is another legal document which appoints an agent who will decide for the care receiver on matters of healthcare.It contains the care receivers preferred method of treatment and would prevent neglect on the part of the caregiver in an institution. Nerenberg (2002), on the other hand, pointed to some techniques and run which are now available which could reduce the risk of abuse on the part of caregivers who care for older people at home. According to her, these techn iques and services were specifically developed in order to meet the needs of caregivers in terms of assistance and support. One of these is a program aimed at providing relief.Under this program, employees or volunteer workers visit the patient at home and spend several hours with him or her in order to allow the caregiver to have some rest. separate programs arrange for the care receiver to stay for several days in a care facility to allow the caregiver to enjoy an extended break. Some support services take the form of friendly visits and reassuring telephone calls to address the feeling of isolation by providing social contact and emotional support. These practices also relieve the anxiety being felt by the caregiver.Finally, caregivers should also be provided with informative materials which would teach them the techniques for reducing stress like exercise and proper pabulum (Nerenberg, 2002).References Bratteli, M. (2003). CAREGIVER ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION The Journey Through Caregiving. North Dakota Family Caregiver Project, North Dakota State University. Nerenberg, L. (2002). Caregiver Stress and Elder Abuse. National Center on Elder Abuse. Retrieved April 17, 2008 from http//www. ncea. aoa. gov/NCEAroot/Main_Site/pdf/family/caregiver. pdf