Unpaid Caregiving: What are the Hidden Costs?

Because the mental and physical health of caregivers can be interdependent with that of the patient, patients may experience worse health outcomes when a caregiver is distressed ([17]). The mean caregiver age was 53 years, and their patients were, on average, aged 63.8 years; both caregivers and patients were aged younger than 65 years, when they would become age eligible for Medicare benefits. Additional supports include integration of caregivers in treatment plans via a separate electronic health record to screen, document, and address caregiver physical and mental health needs. If only 63% of cancer survivors discuss their employment situation with the oncology care team ([26]), it is likely that even fewer caregivers discuss their employment situations with the oncology care team, leaving the caregiver and care team unaware of available supports. [Extracted from the article]