NAHSVILLE, Tenn., April 16, 2019
/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In a recent study on caregivers published on
March 2019 in the Gerontologist, Dr.
David Roth of Johns Hopkins Medical
Center detailed the impact of caregiving on inflammation as well as
the immune system. The study revealed that immune and/or
inflammatory biomarkers of caregivers differ only slightly from
non-caregivers.
While the science of the study is not up to debate, as the work
at Johns Hopkins is meticulous and
respected, the tone of the news statements about that scientific
finding was disconcerting at best, callous at worst. Although
clearly not his intention, it was as if Dr. Roth was lecturing all
caregivers, saying, "Toughen up and shut up. You have no
quantifiable justification to complain."
Dr. Roth stated in a news release issued on April 10, 2019, "We're not saying that family
caregiving can't be stressful, but there's a notion that it's so
stressful that it causes deteriorating health and increased
mortality.…It's a whisper of an effect, not nearly as large as what
people have been led to believe." Some might categorize this as a
'careless whisper.'
If looking at biomarkers as the indicator for better health,
caregivers around the world can rest easier tonight as they see the
headlines of articles that picked up Dr. Roth's press release. How
comforting it must be for millions of caregivers to discover that
their inflammation and immune issues remain similar to
non-caregivers in this study sponsored by the National Institute on
Aging. But just because they now know it, doesn't mean that their
billions of nerve endings received the memo.
It is unclear if such a study sponsored by chronic pain, autism,
addiction, traumatic brain injuries, or mental illness associations
would reveal similar results. It is also unclear if biomarker data
existed on the test subjects prior to their caregiving journey.
Furthermore, the press release did not seem to include the median
timeframe of caregiving nor the average age of the test
subjects.
Caregiving intersects a wide variety of impairments and is not
limited to caring for the elderly. Nor is the health and wellbeing
of a caregiver limited to the biomarkers indicated in this study.
If a caregiver loses themselves in depression and isolation so much
that they fail to see their own physician—as 72% report—then those
"whisper of a difference" biomarkers may not be as positive when a
caregiver reaches the end of their emotional rope.
When faced with the gut-wrenching daily heartache of caring for
someone in extreme intractable pain or severe mental illness, one's
biomarkers are not always on the tip of the tongue when discussing
needs. One's physical health may be in great condition, but in the
presence of relentless heartache, even the best of health can't
compete with the desire for relief.
Bio-markers aside, a particularly troubling 'unintended
consequence' of the Johns Hopkins
report is that it evidently provided the impetus for Dr. Roth to
coldly conclude that caregiving, if "done right," can actually be
an extremely beneficial, healthy activity that enhances your life
because you're engaging in pro-social behavior." Speaking on behalf
of 50 million caregivers on my talk show syndicated to more than
100 radio stations, I can emphatically state that what may have
been intended to be backhanded compliment was actually an outright
insult.
How many caregivers now look at their own challenges and
scratching their heads wondering whether they are 'doing it right'
in their newly discovered 'enhanced' lives.
While the whisper of a difference in the biomarkers may now be
'proven, the deafening cry of millions of broken-hearted caregivers
is also present. Where is the follow-up study on that?
Admittedly, some of them may not be "doing it right" but at
least they are doing it. Why? Because someone has to do it—and for
most—they do it without training, resources, or support. They are
doing it from the heart. They do it out of love.
Biomarkers don't reveal broken hearts, especially those newly
broken ones in exhausted caregivers who may have prior hereto
suspected they didn't measure up, but now have had those fears
confirmed.
Now that Dr. Roth's comments in publications across the U.S.,
one can't help but wonder when a crusty patient receiving care will
hurl Dr. Roth's words at a weary caregiver, "If you were doing it
right, this would enhance your life. You should thank me!"
Words matter and words from Johns
Hopkins' staff are particularly heavyweight. Pushing back
against Johns Hopkins to better guard
their words in a rebuttal release is a daunting task, but most
caregivers face daunting tasks before breakfast each day.
About Peter Rosenberger...
Peter Rosenberger host a national
weekly radio program, "Hope for the Caregiver," syndicated on more
than one hundred radio stations. For thirty years, Peter has cared
for his wife, Gracie, who lives with severe disabilities and
chronic pain. His newest book is 7 Caregiver Landmines and How You
Can Avoid Them. http://www.hopeforthecaregiver.com
@hope4caregiver
SOURCE Hope for the Caregiver