Two of the most common types of caregiving are informal and formal:
At some point in your life, you are likely to find yourself caring for – or preparing to care for – a loved one. In fact, the majority of caregiving in America is provided by informal caregivers.
There are many variations of informal caregiving such as:
Caregiving can lead to many benefits for the caregiver such as feeling useful and needed, knowing that the care recipient is getting quality care, learning new skills, developing and/or deepening a connection with the care recipient, and fulfilling one’s sense of meaning and purpose in life. For many caregivers, these benefits (as well as a multitude of others) coexist with struggles.
While many caregivers cope successfully with caregiving struggles, others experience caregiver strain and are at risk of depression and anxiety, as well as, physical health problems.
Some common struggles include: