Abstract
It could be said that “it takes a village” to manage a chronic condition. In day-to-day living, individuals contending with chronic illness routinely rely on family members, friends, and neighbors to provide support ranging from physical assistance to emotional relief. Such support from caregivers often comes at a cost, with financial, physical, and emotional consequences that may imperil the caregiver’s own health and well-being. Caregivers’ own needs must be met, lest they become at risk for developing poor outcomes themselves. Negative effects of caregiving may strain an already stressed healthcare system, and interventions that support caregivers may reduce the need for costlier formal support. Supporting caregivers also helps them maintain caregiving roles, which are often valued by both caregiver and care recipient. This chapter describes the effects on caregivers who are supporting individuals living with a chronic condition. Information about assessment and intervention, opportunities for further research, and populations of concern are highlighted.
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Gately, M., Ladin, K. (2018). Family and Other Caregivers. In: Daaleman, T., Helton, M. (eds) Chronic Illness Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71812-5_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71812-5_9
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