Stress Prevention among Family - Research Paper Example

?An Action Research for Stress Prevention among Family Caregivers of the Elderly Introduction Nowadays, mental health professionals and human serviceprofessionals are showing a great of enthusiasm and efficiency in establishing programs that will strengthen their ability and competency of helping individuals who are in need of help. Accordingly, in order for service professional to create effective programs, they have embraced the notion of action research in order for them to collaborate and incorporate ideas on how to create preventive programs based on their research and understanding of the social systems of the people in the society. Hence, collaboration has played an important role between service professionals who are eager to identify and recognize new ways of programs that will be useful for prevention, intervention, and consultation for people who need help (Khanlou & Peter, 2005; Dougherty, 2008; Eikeland, 2012). The action research has been a significant exploratory paradigm because it endeavors to create different ways in improving the lives of people and generates information that is useful for the understanding of the community. In addition, the action research is not only a study that seeks general findings and create programs, but this type of research is an exploration of new findings and ameliorate existing programs in order for an effective and efficient results or outcomes. Consequently, this type of research involves a cyclical procedure that started from planning, to implementing, until evaluation so that experts can identify new ways of improving the preventive program (Khanlou & Peter, 2005; Stringer, 2007; Worthington, Miller, & Talley, 2011). In relation to this, this current study is an implication of creating an action research in preventing stress among caregivers of the elderly. Rationale of the Study Stress is the result when a person failed to manage his/her environmental or internal stressors. Particularly, stress can be experienced among individuals when they suffer uncontrollable social roles such as work responsibilities, career transitions, parental responsibilities, taking care of elderly parents, grown children departing away from their parents, and maintaining family structure. Accordingly, stress is a big problem for health service professionals because it leads to serious illnesses that can hinder more the functioning of the person affected. However, stress may not be the direct cause of health problems among individuals, but the existence of stress can contribute for individuals to have risky lifestyles (e.g., smoking and drinking) that can cause them health problems. Hence, the result of stress can be categorized as directly or indirectly involved to health problems of those individuals who experienced stress (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2007; Demirtepe-Saygili & Bozo, 2011). In relation to stress, caregiving is regarded as one of the chronic stressors for individuals because it involves physical and emotional demands in taking care of a loved one or another person. Accordingly, caregivers are more prone for an exposure of different stressors compared to those who are not caregivers (Papalia et al., 2007; Fredman, Cauley, & Hochberg, 2010). The National Alliance for Caregiving (2009) has found out that there are approximately 64.7 million of informal or unpaid caregivers for children and old people in the United States, with a particular estimation of 42.1 million for informal or unpaid caregivers who have rendered their services to the elderly in the United States (Feinberg, Reinhard, Houser, & Choula, 2011). Relatively, there are 55 percent of informal or unpaid caregivers in the United States stated that they are inundating with the responsibilities in taking care of aging and sickly people (American Psychological Association, 2012). As a result, there are different studies conducted in establishing stress prevention program for caregivers, and this current paper had endeavored to create and establish a preventive action program for caregivers that have provided care towards the elderly in reducing or managing their stress. Evidence Based Literature The studies on understanding the role of caregivers for the elderly have expanded since the burst of caregiving in 1980s, and the findings of the studies have suggested a number of implications in the field of gerontology, health services, mental health studies, and relationship systems. The interests of caregiving have allowed researchers and experts to implicate the positive and negative effects of caregiving activities towards the health and wellbeing of the caregivers and their patients. In relation to this, family members and relatives have faced the responsibility of caregiver towards their aging parents or relatives (e.g., grandparents) (Barbosa, Figueiredo, Sousa, & Demain, 2011). Accordingly, Montgomery and Kosloski (2009) implicated that the role for informal caregiving is an outcome based on the existing relationship of the family members and their elderly relatives (e.g., parents or grandparents) (as cited in Pope, Kolomer, Glass, 2012). Pope et al. (2012) have identified in their study that there are approximately 45 percent of informal caregiving provided by children of aging parents while only 5 percent of informal caregiving provided by spouses of aging partners. Barbosa et al. (2011) implicated that the role of caregiving has determined the burden and stress among caregivers especially the family members and relatives of the old people because of the conflict that will arise between their responsibilities and social roles. Accordingly, Bush and Job (1993) identified different stressors that the caregivers will experience, and these stressors are family responsibilities, work obligations, monetary resources, necessities of the elderly, the well being of the elderly, family structure, the health of the caregiver, limitations of the caregiver, the communications, and the responsibilities of the caregiver. Hence, the experienced stress among family caregivers is the result of the individual’s perception of the environment in which the caregivers evaluated caregiving as mentally and physically demanding, in need of great resources, and a factor for jeopardizing one’s well being. Nevertheless, there are number of programs that will allow family members to seek ways on how to increase their resources for social roles (e.g., as parents and caregivers), regulate their time and responsibilities, and most especially manage strategies in coping with stress (Barbosa et al., 2011). In the study conducted by Barbosa et al. (2011), the researchers have identified different stress coping strategies that served an important role among 180 family caregivers in regulating their health and personal well being. The findings of the study have identified that family caregivers prefer to utilize problem-solving strategies in order to directly resolve stressful situations while emotional-cognitive strategies are less effective in dealing with stressful situations. Particularly, 71.1 percent of family caregivers have established a regular routine that will aid them in doing their different social responsibilities. Furthermore, 65 percent of family caregivers have the preference of talking to other people with regard to their problems between their social roles and responsibilities while 80 percent of the family caregivers prefer to find different solutions of a problem until the appropriate or suitable resolution is determined. In addition to the results of the same study, 88.3 percent of the family caregivers need to have a free time and maintain interest outside caregiving responsibilities in order to deal with stressful conditions. Lastly, 73.8 percent of the family caregivers prefer to cry out their frustrations and feelings of stress (Barbosa et al., 2011). Hence, the results in the study of Barbosa et al. (2011) are similar to the notion of Bush and Job (1993) that family caregivers need to have a well educated problem solving and the ability to voice out their concerns with other people in order for them to overcome their existing problems of caregiving responsibilities and regulate their stressful situation. Moreover, Bush and Job (1993) also recognized that proper nourishment and exercise will also help caregivers to cope with stress. Accordingly, regular sustenance of food and proper exercise will help the body of family caregivers to be healthy and be able to reduce any risks of health problems. However, Marquez, Bustamante, Kozey-Keadle, Kraemer, and Carrion (2012) conducted a study with regard to the physical activity among caregivers. The researchers found out that family caregivers have low physical activity compared to people who are non caregivers. Consequently, Silver and Wellman (2002) suggested that nutrition education may help family caregivers in doing their social roles and responsibilities efficiently because it will help them gain knowledge and understanding in preserving and ameliorating their nutritional condition. In addition, educational program will not only benefit the health of the caregivers, but also educational programs will give information to caregivers on how to take care, deal, and understand the situation of their patients (Glajchen, 2012). However, there is a lack of empirical evidences that will support the effectivity of educational programs in aiding family caregivers to cope with stressful problems and situations in providing care to the elderly (Silver & Wellman, 2002). Nevertheless, findings from different studies of family caregiving suggested that there are different ways for family caregivers in coping with stress, and educational programs will be a useful tool for creating preventive programs that will reduce the stress among family caregivers (Barbosa et al., 2011; Bush & Job, 1993). As a result, this current action research will focus on establishing a preventive educational program for family caregivers of the elderly in coping and regulating with stressful situations and problems that will occur while providing care and sustenance to their old relatives or parents. Focus Group and Stakeholders of the Study The focus group of this prevention action research is the family caregivers of the elderly in the United States. Particularly, the family caregivers are the primary source of care and solicitude among old people. Consequently, this specific population is also confronted with stressful situations while providing care with their elderly parents or relatives. According to Glajchen (2012), family caregivers perceived their caregiving roles as physically and mentally demanding because of the problems in the caregiving responsibility, the state of health of their patient, and the consequential effects of caregiving into their personal and social lives. Hence, this paper will dwell on determining and establishing preventive programs that will aid family caregivers of the elderly in regulating and coping with stressful problems and situations. In addition, this current paper had endeavored to acquire the support and interest of different people and organizations as important stakeholders for the effectivity of this action research with the goal to create a preventive program for family caregivers of the elderly in coping with stress. Particularly, the possible stakeholders for the effectivity of this program are the health service professionals (e.g., psychologist, psychiatrists, & doctors), the National Caregivers Association, National Alliance for Caregiving, researchers and experts, government organizations or agencies, and also the people of the community. Olshansky et al. (2005) expounded that the role and function of the stakeholders will promote and stimulate an active involvement from family caregivers especially those who are providing care to the old people in the United States. Hence, the responsible action of helping family caregivers in coping with stress is not only limited to the responsibility of the researcher but also from the stakeholders of this current action research. Data Collection and Analysis Methods The data collection for this current research will determine through the method of needs assessment. The needs assessment will allow the researcher to identify different concerns of family caregivers. Particularly, this current research will compile different stressful problems and situations that family caregivers are confronted, and in turn, this current research will identify different coping strategies that family caregiver will do to prevent themselves from stress. Program Goals and Assessment The main objective of establishing a prevention program is to help family caregivers of the elderly in the United States to cope with stress in order to help them enhance and improve their health and well being. Particularly, this proposed program aims to educate and provide substantial information towards family caregivers in terms of proper nutrition, daily exercise, social activity, and balancing their personal life with caregiving responsibilities. Furthermore, this proposed program aims to provide more effective coping strategies that will give beneficial results to the family caregivers. Accordingly, the main objective and the goals of this program will be evaluated through survey and feedback system from the stakeholders and family caregivers. Action Plan for the Program This proposed program is a prevention program that will help family caregivers of the elderly in United States to cope up with their stressful situations and problems. Accordingly, this prevention program encompasses different tasks and activities that are useful in achieving the main objective and goals of this particular program. Particularly, this prevention program has three main activities that will strengthen the understanding and knowledge of family caregivers in coping with stress while providing care and sustenance to their elderly parents or relatives, and these three main tasks are educational activities, skills enhancement, and social or personal relations. First, the educational activities are useful in providing significant information to the family caregivers when it comes to health, exercise, and how to provide proper care to their patient. The educational activities will help family caregivers to understand the value of health through discussing and identifying nutritional food that are important for them and their patients. Moreover, the educational activities involve daily exercise for the family caregiver and their patient in order to create a daily routine of healthy lifestyle. Lastly, the educational activities involve discussion and implementation of different routinary plans that will assist the family caregivers in balancing their different roles in the community, family, and caregiving. Hence, the education activities provided in this program focuses on the health and well being of the family caregivers and also their elderly patients. The second main activity of this program is the skills enhancement in which family caregivers will learn through discussions and applications the different coping strategies for stress, problem solving strategies, regulating negative emotions, and also reframing. Particularly, the skills enhancement will allow family caregivers to gain different ways on how to cope with stress and regulate their negative emotions. For example, family caregivers will be taught how to effectively perform relaxation or regulating the feeling of anger and frustrations. Moreover, the skills enhancement will help family caregiver on how to deal with different problems effectively that may arise as a caregiver. Lastly, reframing is part of skills enhancement because the program will provide different ways and applications on how to divert their negative perception with regard to caregiving, and also it will help family caregivers to view their situation in a different point of view. Lastly, the third main activity of this program is the social or personal relations which will allow family caregivers to have the leisure time away from caregiving responsibility with the conceptualization of discovering oneself and be able to relate with their social system. Particularly, the personal relations activity will help family caregivers to have leisure time away from caregiving responsibilities in order for them to have personal life and pursue their personal interest in life. Moreover, the social relations activity will help family caregivers to balance their caregiving responsibilities and social responsibilities. In general, the activities of this proposed program involve the active participation of the stakeholders in order for them to contribute in the effectivity of the different main activities in the program. Possible Challenges The activities of the proposed program are widely based on empirical studies from different researchers; however, there are instances that the activities determined in the proposed program are held as not effective and efficient in helping family caregivers in coping with stress. The possible challenges of the proposed program are the active participation of the family caregivers, the need for counseling sessions, and the need for unlimited resources (e.g., money). Particularly, in order for this proposed program to gain an active participation from family caregivers, the researcher needs to exert an effort to gain recommendations from the stakeholders. Furthermore, the challenges of the need for counseling sessions rather than educational prevention can be resolved by creating an understanding for the family caregivers that educational session can be part of the prevention program, and this will lead to another creation of an intervention program. Lastly, the need for unlimited resources (i.e., money) cannot be sufficed by this proposed program, but this program will have to resolve this challenge through wide range of sponsorship to help family caregivers in giving sustenance to their elderly parents or relatives. Implications The proposed prevention program for family caregivers in coping with stress in providing care to their elderly parents or relatives will create a new perspective for the community. Indeed, caregiving responsibilities are physically and mentally stressful and demanding, but this proposed program suggested that there are different ways for family caregivers to cope with stress and look caregiving role within the positive outlook. Particularly, this proposed program will give an implication for family caregivers that caregiving is a responsibility not only towards elderly parents or relatives but towards themselves. The effectivity of their different functional roles will depend on how they perceive their tasks as positive experiences. References American Psychological Association (2012). Stress in America: Our health at risk. Washington, DC: Author. Barbosa, A., Figueiredo, D., Sousa, L., & Demain, S. (2011). Coping with the caregiving role: Differences between primary and secondary caregivers of dependent elderly people. Aging & Mental Health, 15(4), 490-499. Bush, H. A., & Job, S. A. (1993). Stressors of providing care to the elderly. 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D., Kolomer, S., & Glass, A. P. (2012). How women in late midlife become caregivers for their aging parents. Journal of Women & Aging, 24, 242-261. Silver, H. J., & Wellman, N. S. (2002). Nutrition education may reduce burden in family caregivers of older adults. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 34, S53-S58. Stringer, E. T. (2007). Action Research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Worthington, E. L., Miller, A. J., & Talley, J. C. (2011). Action-oriented research: A primer and examples. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 39(3), 211-221. Read More