Healthwise [Fall 1993]

              Fall 1993
Caring one day at a time
Position Available: Must be
patient, caring and giving. No
scheduled coffee breaks, vacations
or pay. Long-term assignment.
If listed in the newspaper,
this ad would generate few
inquiries. But every
day, more and
more people
are taking the
job
described
above. By
choice or
necessity,
they are caring for an
aging, disabled or ill relative at home.
In fact, the average American
spends 18 years taking care of a
child and 19 years taking care of a
parent, said Lisa Gabel, ACSW, of the
Geriatric Assessment Center at Moses
Cone Hospital.
"Caregiving, in
many cases, is a 24-
hour-a-day job," Gabel
added. "Not surprisingly,
caregiver stress is one of the
biggest problems we deal
with."
As the Guilford County
Stroke Club coordinator
and a Rehabilitation
nurse at Moses Cone
Hospital, Pat Patrick
has heard and seen the
stresses that come with
caregiving.
"Caregivers often put everyone
ahead of themselves," said Patrick,
who was a long-distance caregiver
for five years. They take on the role
of the "fixer," and when everything
doesn't work out, they feel
tremendous guilt.
"Caregivers are usually never
thought about," she added.
"Everyone focuses on the patient's
problems. No one ever turns and
says, "How are you?'"
Over a period of time, it's not
uncommon for caregivers to become
frustrated and suffer burnout. And the
primary caregiver is usually the target
of the parent's bitter anger. When the
caregiver bums out emotionally and
physically, there's often no one left to
care for the parent.
After reading Pat Samples' book
(continued on next page)
Workshops target caregivers
Pat Samples, author of Self-
Care for Caregivers: A Twelve Step
Approach, will present "Caring One
Day At A Time," two workshops on
caregiving sponsored by Moses Cone
Hospital.
From 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 8,
Samples will lead a workshop for
professional caregivers at the
Sheraton Hotel, 303 N. Elm St.,
Greensboro. Participants may earn
three CEUs. The cost is $10.
On Nov. 9, the author will focus
on family caregivers from 1 to 4 p.m.
at the Sheraton Hotel. The cost is $5.
Respite care is available; register by
Nov. 4.
To sign up for a workshop or
receive more details, call 574-8173-
Employees of The Moses H. Cone
Group of Health Care Services will be
admitted free.
As a prelude to her workshops,
Samples will speak briefly on "The
Emotional Cost Of Caring For
Someone You Love" at an afternoon
tea at The Moses H. Cone Extended
Care Center, 1131N. Church St. The
tea, which is from 3 to 4 p.m. Nov. 7, is
open to the public. There is no charge.
A Publication for the Friends of The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital