Caring Partners helps family caregivers

11:13 a.m., Oct. 21, 2005--Head, heart and hands are represented in the logo of Caring Partners, reflecting the support and services family caregivers provide to those who are chronically ill or disabled.

Designed to help middle-aged caregivers under the age of 60, Caring Partners was created by a group of professionals, including Christine Cannon, UD professor of nursing, who researched and wrote the “Preparing for Caring” section of the coalition’s web site at [CaringPartnersde.org].

“Caring Partners focuses on middle-aged caregivers, as resources are more readily available for older caregivers,” Cannon said. “A national study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, “Caregiving in the U.S.,” revealed the average age of caregivers is 44 years, and this is an underserved population.

“Middle-aged caregivers frequently have responsibilities beyond caring for an ill or disabled family member,” Cannon said. “They may have children, have jobs and manage the household and finances.

“We discovered that there is a growing number of caregivers in Delaware, and our group wanted to help them by providing them with useful information about being a caregiver and available services through the free Caring Partners web site,” Cannon said.

Cannon’s research for the project focused on the needs of caregivers and the relationships between caregivers and those they serve.

“My research revealed some of the problems caregivers encounter when their partners or parents face chronic illness or disability. Their lives are completely changed, and, for many, their responsibilities are 24/7 and all-consuming,” Cannon said.

“Some had trouble sleeping or their sleep was interrupted; others were depressed, did not know where to get answers and suffered from fear of the unknown, frustration or guilt. Some neglected their own health, and marriages can suffer from the stress of caregiving as well,” she said.

“On the positive side, some couples grow closer together or a parent and child report they spend more ‘quality time’ together,” Cannon said. “Those who coped best with being caregivers tended to be realistic, but optimistic, had family close by and friends to support them. Frequently, religious faith was a source of comfort and strength.

“One of the needs we discovered was that personal time away from caregiving is important,” Cannon said.

Through the web site of the Well Spouse Association, a support organization for caregivers, Cannon asked caregivers about their needs, their preferences for the delivery of support and perceived changes in their health and marriage.

There were two general groups of answers, Cannon said. Three-quarters of caregivers reported having difficulties, were exhausted, needed a respite and also said that being a caregiver had an impact on their health. Both men and women caregivers said they needed help with basic chores, such as yard work or housework, and also needed the support of friends.

One-quarter said they were closer to their loved one and that their relationships had been tested and had grown stronger. Satisfaction in a marriage before disability or illness happens is a factor in coping, Cannon said.

Most preferred the Internet for information, followed by written materials.

The web site also features sections on “Caring Partners Coalition,” a list of agencies and other resources for caregivers, and “Caregiver Resources,” with the name of the coordinator and tips for caregivers.

“The web site is like a pop-up book,” Cannon said, “where anyone can access organizations and resources that are useful and appropriate for them. There also is an interactive guest book where caregivers can give suggestions about what works for them,” Cannon said.

“Preparing for Caring” offers two selections on the web site--Caring for Your Partner and Caring for Your Parents. In an informal and sympathetic, but informative way, the sections cover identifying symptoms of illness, caregiving goals, needs and resources, financing, communications, understanding feelings, strengthening relationships and other topics, with links to helpful web sites and organizations.

“Caring Partners provides a real service for caregivers and can be accessed anytime through the Internet. It is user- friendly and based on research about the needs and desires of caregivers for support and information,” Cannon said.

Other Caring Partners members include Susan Getman, director of the Wilmington Senior Center; Jean Williams, director of the Newark Senior Center; Joyce Shores, coordinator of CARE/Delaware; and Tom McFalls, of McFalls & Associates, a fund-raising and project management company. The group meets once a month to update the initiative. Dick Swanson, a senior software designer at Lycos in the Boston area, designed the web site.

The Jessie du Pont Fund provided grants to support research and development of the Caring Partners initiative.

Cannon graduated from UD in 1970 and received her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate in family studies from Delaware. She joined the faculty in 1990.

Article by Sue Moncure

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