Aging - The High Cost of Caregiving - Essay Example

The rise in dementia among aged people has provoked psychologists and doctors to research the subject.

The research revealed that caregivers had 23 % higher levels of stress hormones and 15% lower levels of anti–bodies response than non–givers. Further, the study revealed that one in ten informal caregivers had a risky health condition and this is not apt for caregiving status. Generally, the informal caregivers are women and they are highly vulnerable to stress and negative health conditions. According to(Wagner& Takagi,2010)  “Although women continue to dominate the caregiving population, there has been an increase in male caregivers in the past two decades”.Moreover, there is solid insight for psychologists and doctors about the caregiver’s negative impact on health. With the findings in research, the health policymakers and health care system acknowledge the significance of informal caregivers in caregiving to the elderly population of the country. Besides this, the study helped in understanding the health risks posed by both formal and informal caregivers of the country.