What is Caregiver Syndrome?
As Andree LeRoy, M.D. reported for CNN.com/health, caregiver syndrome is a condition that can result from the stress of full-time or long-term caregiving. As the numbers of cases are increasing, the medical community is beginning to acknowledge the risks and symptoms of caregiving syndrome. As LeRoy reported, neuropsychiatrist Dr. Jean Posner defines caregiver syndrome as “a debilitating condition brought on by unrelieved, constant caring for a person with a chronic illness or dementia.” A major cause of caregiver syndrome is the heavy workload caregivers may take on. The stress also stems from grief, as caregivers experience a loved one’s declining health. According to LeRoy, the shift from a partnership to a caregiver-patient dynamic can be very difficult, and in reaction the caregiver may experience shock. Thus, the changing role-relationship with the seriously ill loved one can trigger the onset of caregiver syndrome. Symptoms of Caregiver Syndrome Major symptoms of caregiver syndr
