12 · SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2018 TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
IN THE NEWS
Center for Caregiving
Research launches
Pittsburgh continues to position itself at
the forefront of caregiver support with the
University of Pittsburgh Health Policy Insti-tute’s
new Center for Caregiving Research,
Education and Policy.
The center, which launched in July, is
unique in that it takes a holistic approach
and combines a number of different ele-ments
with the goal of making a real-world
impact on resources and support given to
caregivers nationwide.
“The idea emerged out of the Caregiver
Project we’ve been doing the last couple
years, and in the process of doing that, we
took a survey of what kind of experience
and resources we had in caregiving here,”
said Dr. Richard Schulz, of the Pitt School
of Medicine and one of the nation’s leading
caregiving researchers.
“We discovered we had a really large
number of expert faculty doing research,
somewhere between 20 and 30 people, all
focused on different aspects of caregiving.
We had the talent base, the infrastructure
and the connection to the health care sys-tem,
and all those things caused us to reflect
on what we have and put it together in the
form of a center.”
Schultz and his colleagues have been at
the forefront of caregiver research for many
years.
He chaired the 2017 National Academy
of Sciences Study of Family Caregiving for
Older Adults, which published the “Families
Caring for an Aging America” report that ex-amined
the role of caregivers in the United
States and made recommendations on how
to better support them as the population
continues to age.
That launched the Caregiver Project, and
the new center will continue to build on the
work done there and will “provide informa-tion
on caregiving; train professionals and
family caregivers to be as effective as pos-sible;
institute support programs integrating
caregivers into existing health care services,
long-term services and support systems;
and inform public policy on the role of
caregivers in state and national health care
regulations, including the Caregiver Advise,
Record, Enable (CARE) Act, which has
been signed into law in 36 states, including
Pennsylvania.”
A large part of the work done at the center
will focus on research, Schulz said, which
they hope will then translate into policy
both locally and nationally.
For instance, their findings could impact
how the Area Agency on Aging allocates
resources based on the needs of caregivers
in Western Pennsylvania.
They have researchers working on specif-ics,
such as caregivers helping veterans to
manage chronic conditions, caregivers pro-viding
care to those with specific disabili-ties,
what needs are not being met currently
and how caregivers’ roles affect the health
outcomes of the recipients.
“Another project we’re working on is
the hospital discharge process and ways in
which the Care Act might be implemented,”
Schulz said.
The new law passed recently in Pennsyl-vania
requires caregivers to be identified
when a person goes to the hospital and is
discharged, he said, so they’re looking at
how that’s being implemented locally and
throughout the state.
“We have visions of good ways and bad
ways in which that might be enacted, so
we’re hoping to influence that process,” he
said.
“The enactment might be on the low end
of identifying the person and leaving it at
that versus identifying ways to support the
caregiver in some way, such as providing
training if they need to do the things that
are often asked when a person is dis-charged.”
The center is partnering not only with
UPMC but also with a number of national
advocacy organizations, including the
AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association and the
Hospital and Healthsystem Association of
Pennsylvania.
BY KAREN PRICE
FOR TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
HANDLING STRESS
CARING FOR
CAREGIVERS
How to prevent potential burnout
While caring for an older family member
— whether it be a spouse, parent or grand-parent
— can be a rewarding experience, it
also can be a difficult and overwhelming
task.
This is especially true if your loved one
lives with Alzheimer’s disease or other
dementia-related illnesses.
Whether it’s out of love or obligation,
caring for a chronically ill or disabled family
member (and potentially his or her finan-cial
and legal interests) can come at the
expense of the caregiver’s quality of life.
In addition to maintaining a healthy, ac-tive
lifestyle outside of caregiving responsi-bilities,
it is important for those caring for a
loved one to learn ways to avoid health haz-ards
and stay well-informed of any changes
in their loved one’s condition.
Add work and children to care for to the
equation, and it’s a formula that can lead to
stress, exhaustion and even potential health
issues.
The additional duties often required to
provide care for a loved one can lead to
physical or emotional fatigue, often referred
to as “caregiver burnout.”
If you’re caring for an older adult, the
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America recom-mends
these tips to help manage stress
before caregiving leads to burnout.
Know the signs of burnout. By the time
many caregivers suspect signs of burnout,
they’re likely already suffering symptoms
related to their responsibilities.
Being aware of some of the warning signs
can help caregivers properly manage stress
and protect themselves. Warning signs
include:
• Overwhelming fatigue or lack of energy
• Experiencing sleep issues
• Significant changes in eating habits/weight
• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Neglecting physical and emotional needs
BY FAMILY FEATURES
FAMILY FEATURES