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Care-Giver's Self-Assessment
Caregivers are often so concerned
with caring for their relative's needs that they lose sight of
their own well-being.
If you are a caregiver, you can use
this self-assessment to find out how well you are coping with
the challenges of being a regular or full-time caregiver.
Answer these questions based on
your experience during the past
week or so:
1. I have had trouble keeping my
mind on what I was doing......... __Yes __No
2. I felt that I couldn't leave my
relative alone............................. __Yes
__No
3. I had difficulty making
decisions...........................................
__Yes __No
4. I felt completely
overwhelmed...............................................
__Yes __No
5. I felt useless and
unneeded..................................................
__Yes __No
6. I felt
lonely..........................................................................
__Yes __No
7. I have been upset that my
relative has changed so much ...... __Yes
__No
from his/her former self
8. I felt a loss of privacy and/or time for
myself........................... __Yes __No
9. I have been edgy or
irritable..................................................
__Yes __No
10. My sleep was disturbed because I
was caring for my relative. __Yes __No
11. I had one or more crying
spells........................................... __Yes
__No
12. I felt strain or tension between
my work and family .........
__Yes __No
responsibilities
13. I experienced back
pain.....................................................
__Yes __No
14. I felt ill (headaches, stomach
problems or common cold)...... __Yes __No
15. I felt unsatisfied with the
support my family has given me..... __Yes
__No
16. I found my relative's living
situation to be inconvenient or ..... __Yes
__No
a barrier to care
Total the number of "Yes" responses
here .......................................... _____
17. On a scale of 1 (low) to 10
(high), rate your current level of stress:
_____
18. On a scale of 1 (low) to 10
(high), rate your current health compared _____
to what it was at this time last year.
How to Interpret Your Score
Chances are that you are
experiencing a high degree of distress:
•
If you answered "Yes" to either or both questions 4 and 11;
•
If your total "Yes" score is 10 or higher;
•
If your score on question 17 is 6 or higher;
•
If your score on question 18 is 6 or lower.
What to Do Next
If this self-assessment suggests
that you are experiencing some distress as a result of your role
as a care-giver, you may consider:
• seeing your family doctor for a check-up for yourself;
• making plans with a health care professional or social worker
to arrange for some
relief from your caregiving responsibilities;
• joining a support group for caregivers.
• visiting with your pastor, a pastoral care minister or a
spiritual guide.
This self assessment was adapted
from the caregiver's self assessment created by the American
Medical Association and provided by the PBS series Caring for
Your Parents, available online at:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/caringforyourparents/
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Posted 11.09.09 Last Update: 11.09.09
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