caregiver

Column Saved by the Same Olā€™ Side Effect to an Antibiotic

This headline is a bit of a cheat. OK, itā€™s a big cheat. When youā€™ve been writing a column for five years, thereā€™s immense satisfaction when youā€™ve finished it each week. Thereā€™s even more when itā€™s passed through the editing process. Sometimes this can get somewhat tricky. The trouble is…

An Interview With My Primary Carer

Iā€™ve been meaning to do this for a while. My wife, Jane, whoā€™s also my primary MS carer, went away for a few days last week, and with absence making the heart grow fonder and all that, I thought Iā€™d strike ā€” if she came back! Fortunately, she did,…

What Did I Do Over My MS Holiday? Stand-up!

So, yes, Iā€™ve been away for four weeks. Anybody miss me? Well not away as such. There are places with hoists ā€” even a specialist camper van you can hire here in the United Kingdom ā€” but matching that with a profiling bed makes for quite the elusive Venn…

Many MS Patients Report Mistreatment by Caregivers

More than half of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who require an informal caregiver have experienced abuse or mistreatment by that caregiver, according to a study conducted in California. The study, “Validity and Reliability of the Scale to Report Emotional Stress Signsā€“Multiple Sclerosis (STRESS-MS) in Assessing…

MS Patients with Low Physical Disability Incur High Economic Burden, Study Shows

Even at a low level of disability, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have substantial indirect and informal caregiving costs due to disease progression ā€” with unemployment markedly adding to the economic burden, a Spanish study reports. The study, ā€œEconomic burden of multiple sclerosis in a population with low physical disability,ā€ was published in the journal BMC Public Health. MS has significant impact on health-related quality of life, with disability and fatigue ā€” two hallmarks of the disease ā€” hindering patients' ability to work or study. This often results in early unemployment. As MS progresses, many individuals often need the support of caregivers to perform daily life activities. Limited information is available on MS-associated economic burden imposed on patients by the costs of informal care and loss of employment. To fill this gap, Spanish researchers evaluated the cost burden of indirect and informal care for 199 people with MS. Participants (mean age 43.9 years, and 60% females) were followed at 19 MS clinical units across Spain. Among the participants, 172 (86.4%) had relapsing-remitting MS, and 27 (13.6%) had primary progressive MS. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDDS) was used to determine each individualā€™s level of disability. EDDS scoring is done by a trained neurologist, who quantifies a patientā€™s disability on a scale of zero to 10, in 0.5 increments.Ā  EDDS also is used to monitor changes in disability levels through the course of MS. The greater the EDDS score, the higher the disability level. The team used the 23-item MS Work difficulties questionnaire (MSWDQ-23) to assess the level of hardships participants experienced at their workplace. A patient-reported survey, the questionnaire highlights the extent of psychological and cognitive, physical, and other external difficulties experienced at work by people with the disease. MSWDQ-23 scores range from zero to 100, with a higher score correlating to more significant workplace difficulties. The study population had a median EDDS score of 2, and a median MSWDQ-23 score of 31.5, indicating an overall low level of physical disability. Despite this, MS was found to have a marked impact on the individualsā€™ work and academic activity. At the time of MS diagnosis, 70.6% of the participants were employed. However, at the start of this study, 9.6 years later, the employment rate among the participants had dropped to 47.2%. The retirement rate increased from zero at the time of diagnosis to 23.6% at the time of study visit. Most participants retired at a mean age of 43.6 years ā€” and 95.7% of them cited MS progression as the reason for retirement. Among the student population, 90.9% reported absenteeism in the year before the study visit. During the same time period, 30.9% of employed participants were absent from work. Overall, 10.1% of all participants took sick leaves during the prior year. Being absent from work, and early retirement, impose several indirect costs in this study population, the researchers found. Sick leave due to MS resulted in a mean annual cost of ā‚¬416.6 (US$473.59), while work absenteeism accounted for ā‚¬763.4 (US$867.83)ā€‰yearly. Early retirement due to MS added an additional mean annual cost burden of ā‚¬5,810.1 (US$6,604.92). The annual costs per patient due to premature work disability or pension increased to ā‚¬1,816.8 (US$2,065.34). Caregivers accompanied 72% of the patients for the study visit. The researchers noted that participants' spouses reportedly spent a minimum of more than 200 hours annually in providing care ā€” more than a full-time job. A total 28.1% of participants required paid professional support for their daily activities, such as person to do housework and a physiotherapist. Patients also reported the use of assistive devices and adaptations. Crutch or walking stick use was reported by 10.6% of participants, while 8% had some home adaptation to help in their daily activities. Use of non-reimbursable devices was reported by 21.6%. The mean annual cost of informal caregiving, including activities by professional staff, was ā‚¬1,328.7 (US$1,510.46). Use of assistive devices added an additional ā‚¬736.6 (US$ 837.37) yearly. ā€œMS is responsible for a substantial economic burden due to indirect and informal care costs, even in a population with low physical disability,ā€ the researchers said. ā€œEffective therapeutic interventions to improve the management of early symptoms as well as implementing workplace strategies focused on job retention may be essential to decrease the high economic burden of MS,ā€ they concluded.

Being a Caregiver with MS

I pride myself on never lending power to my limitations, but when I became the primary caretaker for my husband after he underwent hip replacement surgery, my limitations were reached. Ten days later, I am slowly emerging as a somewhat functioning individual. As with most challenges, I tend…

Paying Caregiver’s Dues: Giving as Good as I Get

The plastic mustard bottle hurtles toward the kitchen floor. Like a statue I stand, mouth agape, as it somersaults in slow-motion through space. Only seconds before, Iā€™d removed the top of the bottle to scrape one final dollop from it onto the sandwich…

Transitioning from MS Patient to Cancer Caregiver

I am making the transition from multiple sclerosis patient to cancer caregiver. On May 11 my family’s world turned upside down when my husband of 41 years was diagnosed with advanced Ā pancreatic cancer. My caring husband, who has always loved and protected me, is now the one in…

4 Tips for Taking Care of Caregivers

While few of us choose to become caregivers, many of us are faced with the task if a loved one is diagnosed with a chronic disease. The transition is a strange time for everyone involved,Ā as the nature of the relationship changes for both the caregiver and patient. However, it is…

Palliative Care Helps Improve Life Quality, Ease Pain of Anyone with Serious Illness

Palliative care helps to ease the symptoms ofĀ serious illnesses, providing peopleĀ with cancer and thoseĀ withĀ otherĀ life-altering diseases, likeĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) or cystic fibrosis,Ā a better quality of life, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In the study, ā€œAssociation Between Palliative Care And Patient…

MS Takes a Toll on Caregivers, Too, Especially on Their Mental Health

Caregivers of peopleĀ with multiple sclerosis (MS) are often burdened by fatigue and depression, evenĀ anger,Ā all of which can unwittinglyĀ reduce the quality of care given ā€” although theyĀ remain quite empathetic, according to a study. The research team atĀ theĀ University of ManitobaĀ in Canada suggested that tending to the needs of people caring for…