| Formal caregivers are typically paid providers but | | | | finances but often results in destroying the |
| they may also be volunteers from a government | | | | physical and emotional health of the caregiver by |
| or nonprofit organization. Where care is being | | | | creating a situation where the caregiver has |
| provided in the home there is often a mix of | | | | difficulty coping with the responsibilities and |
| formal and informal care provided. And the trend | | | | physical demands. |
| is towards using more formal care since, unlike | | | | Another reality of providing informal care services |
| the past, more informal caregivers are | | | | in the home is the increasing need for physical and |
| employed. They choose to remain employed but | | | | emotional support that often goes unrecognized |
| must juggle limited time between caregiving and | | | | until too late. As care needs increase, both in the |
| maintaining a household and a job. | | | | number of hours required and in the number or |
| These added responsibilities often make it | | | | intensity of activities requiring help, there is a |
| necessary to hire non-medical home care aides to | | | | greater need for the services of formal |
| provide supervision and help when the primary | | | | caregivers. |
| caregiver cannot be present. Or as adult day | | | | Unfortunately, many informal caregivers become |
| services become more common, caregivers may | | | | so focused on their task they don't realize they |
| pay for this form of formal caregiving to get rest | | | | are getting in over their heads and they have |
| or to allow for maintaining some employment. | | | | reached the point where some or complete |
| | | | | formal caregiving is necessary. Or the informal |
| When care is no longer possible in the home, then | | | | caregiver may recognize the need for paid, |
| formal caregivers come into play on a full-time | | | | professional help but does not know where to get |
| basis. This may be in the form of a congregate | | | | the money to pay for it. |
| living arrangement, assisted living, a continuing care | | | | Other members of the family should be aware of |
| retirement community or a nursing home. It is at | | | | this burden and be prepared to step in and help |
| this point that long term care can have a | | | | their loved one who is providing care recognize |
| significant impact on the finances of the care | | | | the possibility of becoming overloaded. It is also |
| recipient and a healthy spouse living at home. | | | | the job of a care manager or a financial adviser |
| Care facilities are quite expensive and the cost | | | | or an attorney to recognize this need with the |
| for maintaining a spouse in such a living | | | | client caregiver and provide the necessary counsel |
| arrangement may rob a healthy spouse at home | | | | to protect the caregiver from overload. The |
| of an adequate standard of living. It's quite | | | | advisor can also likely find a source for paying for |
| possible the healthy spouse may end up with food | | | | formal care that the caregiver may not be aware |
| stamps and subsidized housing where, before the | | | | of. |
| need for a care facility, this may not have been | | | | An overloaded caregiver is likely to develop |
| the case. | | | | depression and/or physical ailments and could end |
| Or it is more often the case that the couple | | | | up needing long term care as well. The |
| recognizes this dilemma of splitting living | | | | consequences of not being able to cope with the |
| arrangements in two locations and an attempt will | | | | burden of caregiving might even result in an early |
| be made to keep the spouse needing care at | | | | death for the caregiver. |
| home as long as possible. This may help with the | | | | |