Stress Reduction for Caregivers

As the older populations grow, an increasing number of people are faced with the challenges of caring for frail, older family members. Since the causes of frailty, and especially the causes of cognitive impairment, in late life can last for several years, caregiving can often be experienced as a chronic stressor. Caregiving is often associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety, and with lowered subjective health in the care provider. With this in mind, Stress Reduction for Caregivers addresses the issue of how to help caregivers manage and reduce their stress level. The book is unique in that it bridges the gap between research and practice. It includes a discussion of the stress and coping theories of caregiving developed by researchers in recent years. It also lays out a simple, practical training approach that utilizes four stress reduction techniques to assist professionals in adapting the theories to their practice: Stress Level Monitoring; Relaxation Training; Scheduling Relaxing Events and Cognitive Restructuring. Each technique is accompanied by case studies that demonstrate both the effectiveness and the challenges of applying the overall approach. With its strong base in research and its practical concern for the management and reduction of caregiver stress, this book is a must for professionals who desire to stay abreast of the latest techniques. It will also be of great benefit to advanced students examining the issues of caregiving.

Auteur

Jodi L. Olshevski received her M.S. in Gerontology from the Andrus Gerontology Center at the University of Southern California. Her research interest has focused on caregiver stress, a topic on which she has delivered several lectures and workshops. Ms. Olshevski currently lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts. Anne D. Katz, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Clinical Gerontology at the University of Southern California (USC), Co-Director of the Tingstad Older Adult Counseling Center at USC, and the Clinical Director of the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center at USC. Dr. Katz's current research interests include caregiver stress, AIDS and the elderly, and women's issues and aging. Bob G. Knight, Ph.D., is the Merle H. Bensinger Associate Professor of Gerontology and Psychology at the Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California. He also serves as Director of the Tingstad Older Adult Counseling Center and as faculty director of the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center. Dr. Knight was President of Section II, Division 12 (Clinical Geropsychology) of the American Psychological Association in 1997 and has published extensively in the field of mental health and aging.

Résumé
First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Contenu

Chapter 1 Stress and Coping Models of Caregiving Distress; Chapter 2 Dementia Caregiver Burden and Ethnicity, T. J. McCallum; Chapter 3 Stress Level Monitoring; Chapter 4 Progressive Relaxation and Visualization; Chapter 5 The Relaxing Events Schedule; Chapter 6 Stress-Neutral Thoughts; Chapter 7 The Effectiveness of the Stress Reduction Technique; Chapter 8 The Context of Stress Reduction: Community Services and Resources for Caregivers;