Caring for an older person also means caring for yourself: reminders from family caregivers in the US
US data show that family caregivers help older people with shopping, bills, bathing, dressing and medicines. Many rate their own health as fair or poor and face extra expenses. Families in China can draw lessons from this: share responsibilities, pay attention to their own health and seek community help when needed.
Machine translation of our Chinese article, without human translation review. Suggestions concerning China remain specific to China.
Chinese fact summaries and suggestions for China (not a full translation)
Original: Dementia Caregiving as a Public Health Strategy | Caregiving | CDC · Original language: en
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Facts from the sources
More than 53 million of unpaid caregivers in the United States support older relatives or friends, or those with chronic illness or disabilities. View source
Caregivers help with essential everyday tasks such as grocery shopping, paying bills, bathing, dressing and managing medicines. View source
Nearly one in five caregivers in the United States reports fair or poor health. View source
By 2035, approximately 78 million of people in the United States are projected to be aged 65 or older. View source
A 2021 study found that caregivers paid an average of 7200 US dollars a year in out-of-pocket expenses for the people they supported. View source
For caregivers supporting people with dementia, these out-of-pocket expenses rose to nearly 9000 US dollars a year. View source
For older people and families
Care involves much more than conversation: it can include shopping, paying bills, bathing, dressing and managing medicines. Share tasks among family members rather than leaving everything to one person.
If the older person has memory problems or needs personal care, the time and financial costs may be higher. Find out in advance which local subsidies or services may be available.
Periodically review your sleep, blood pressure and mood. Do not simply struggle on; seek a medical check if you feel unwell.
Accept help from relatives and friends when it is available. Even an hour of relief each day can give you a break.
Record how much extra you spend on care each month so you understand your expenses and can plan ahead.
See what care and community teams can do
Drawing on US experience, communities could provide short respite services for family caregivers, with staffing and charges assessed against local conditions.
Consider health screening and advice for caregivers, with programme content checked by healthcare professionals before implementation.
Care-skills training could cover assistance with bathing, dressing and administering medicines, but practising healthcare professionals must guide the procedures.
Help families under financial pressure explore local medical insurance, long-term care insurance or charitable programmes. Specific policies must follow local official information.
Caregiver self-rated health statistics describe a population and cannot be directly attributed to an individual. Avoid labelling people when providing services.
What needs local assessment
All these data come from the United States and describe averages or projections for US caregivers. They do not establish an individual’s actual risk and cannot be directly applied to China. The health figures and costs mentioned are not Chinese statistics. For care subsidies and services in China, follow information from local government departments and recognised healthcare institutions. Consult professionals before making decisions about care for illnesses, medication management or home safety adaptations. Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The original materials are freely available on the CDC website. This site and its suggestions for China are not endorsed by the CDC, HHS or the US government. Their images and logos have not been reproduced.
Sources
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Was this article helpful?
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