• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
  • Services
    • Asset & Business Planning
    • Dental Practice Law
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Financial Planning Assistance
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Medicaid and Elder Law
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Resources
    • DocuBank
    • Elder Law
      • Elder Law & Medicaid Definitions
      • Elder Law Reports
      • Elder Law Resources
        • Carmel, Indiana Elder Resources
        • Fishers Indiana Elder Law Resources
        • Greenfield, Indiana Elder Law Resources
        • Greenwood Elder Resources
        • Indianapolis Elder Law Resources
        • Lawrence Elder Law Resources
        • Plainfield Elder Resources
        • Zionsville Elder Law Resources
    • Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
        • Advanced Estate Planning
        • Basic Estate Planning
        • Estate Planning for Niches
        • Trust Administration
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Asset Protection Planning
        • Business Succession Planning
      • Elder Abuse
      • Elder Law
        • Medicaid
        • Medicaid Planning
        • Planning for Long-Term Care
      • Estate Planning
        • Avoiding Estate Taxes
        • Estate Planning for Parents
        • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
        • LGBTQ Estate Planning
        • Women and the Need for Estate Planning
      • Financial Planning
      • Incapacity Planning
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • Pet Planning
      • Philanthropy in Your Estate Plan
      • Probate
      • Power of Attorney
      • Small Estate Administration
      • Trusts
        • Trust Administration
        • Trust Administration
        • Serving as Executor
      • Understanding Your Social Security Retirement Benefits
      • Wills
        • Contesting a Will
    • Newsletter
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Probate and Trust Administration
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss Of A Loved One
      • Probate Resources
        • Carmel, Indiana Probate Resources
        • Greenfield Probate
        • Greenwood Probate
        • Indianapolis Probate
        • Plainfield Probate
        • Indiana Probate
        • Zionsville Probate
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Areas We Serve
    • Boone County
      • Lebanon
      • Zionsville
    • Hamilton County
      • Carmel
      • Fishers
    • Hancock County
      • Greenfield
    • Hendricks County
      • Brownsburg
      • Plainfield
    • Johnson County
      • Franklin, Indiana
      • Greenwood
    • Marion County
      • Central Indiana
      • Indianapolis
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Frank & Kraft, Attorneys at Law

Indianapolis Estate Planning Attorneys

CONNECT WITH US TODAY(317) 684-1100

Attend a Free Workshop
Home » What You Need to Know If You Are a Caregiver

What You Need to Know If You Are a Caregiver

December 1, 2022Elder Law

caregiver

If you have taken on the responsibility of providing care for an elderly loved one so that he/she can remain at home, you may already be familiar with the mental and physical exhaustion caregivers often face. It is easy to put your own needs on the backburner when caring for someone you love who is suffering from physical and/or mental deterioration. If you completely ignore your own needs, however, your body will eventually react, causing your own physical and/or mental deterioration. Ultimately, you are not helping your loved one if you ignore your own needs. With that in mind, the Indianapolis elder law attorneys at Frank & Kraft discuss what you need to know if you are a caregiver.

Caregiver Facts and Figures

As the older population continues to increase in the United States, the number of people providing care to an older loved one also increases. Providing care frequently takes a toll on the caregiver and his/her family as the following facts and figures published by the Family Caregiver Alliance indicate:

  • Approximately 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months.
  • About 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months.
  • Most caregivers (82%) care for one other adult, while 15% care for 2 adults, and 3% for 3 or more adults.
  • Approximately 39.8 million caregivers provide care to adults (aged 18+) with a disability or illness or 16.6% of Americans.
  • About 15.7 million adult family caregivers care for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

Additional facts and figures from the CDC related to caregivers include:

  • 14.5% of caregivers reported experiencing 14 or more mentally unhealthy days in the past month.
  • 17.6% of caregivers reported experiencing 14 or more physically unhealthy days in the past month.
  • 36.7% of caregivers reported getting insufficient sleep.

Caregiver Tips

Whether you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or an elderly individual who is simply succumbing to the physical and mental deterioration that is part of the natural aging process, you will also suffer as will your family because of the care you provide if you don’t take steps to prevent that from happening. Consider the following tips:

  • Set limits and stick to them. You are human and, therefore, there are limits to what you can do by yourself.  Accept that fact and don’t push yourself past your limits.
  • Schedule hours/days off every week for yourself. Everyone needs time to recharge. Schedule this time and stick to it because you won’t be any good to anyone if you are run down and exhausted.
  • Find a support group.  They are not difficult to find. Locate one and lean on the people in the group who are going through the same thing you are.
  • Share the burden.  Let other family members and/or friends help by taking over on your “day off” or by cooking dinner for you and your family, for example.
  • Hire professional help when needed.  Most Medicaid programs will cover in-home professional healthcare services for elderly individuals who need assistance. Take advantage of this opportunity to get some much-needed professional assistance.
  • Consider paying yourself.  Many of those same Medicaid programs offer the option to pay a family member who is providing care. If your loved one qualifies, you may be able to participate in one of those programs, allowing you to accept some financial compensation for your caregiving functions without taking money directly from your loved one who may not have any to spare. Accepting compensation often helps ease the financial burden your caregiving may have placed on your own family.
  • Accept the need for LTC when it becomes necessary.  If your loved one’s health continues to deteriorate and/or you simply cannot provide care any longer, a long-term care facility may be the best option. Start looking into your options early on so that when the time comes everyone is prepared.

Contact Indianapolis Elder Law Attorneys

For more information, please join us for an upcoming FREE seminar. If you have additional questions or concerns about elder law issues, contact the experienced Indianapolis elder law attorneys at Frank & Kraft by calling (317) 684-1100 to schedule an appointment.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Paul A. Kraft, Estate Planning Attorney
Paul A. Kraft, Estate Planning Attorney
Paul Kraft is Co-Founder and the senior Principal of Frank & Kraft, one of the leading law firms in Indiana in the area of estate planning as well as business and tax planning.

Mr. Kraft assists clients primarily in the areas of estate planning and administration, Medicaid planning, federal and state taxation, real estate and corporate law, bringing the added perspective of an accounting background to his work.
Paul A. Kraft, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Paul A. Kraft, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • Understanding the Annual Exclusion - January 31, 2023
  • Updated Federal Gift and Estate Tax Figures for 2023 - January 26, 2023
  • Why Estate Planning Is Important for Multi-National Couples - January 24, 2023

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
Indianapolis elder law attorneys
A Pre-Paid Funeral Plan Might Not Be a Wise Choice
Indianapolis elder law attorney
How to Find the Right Caregiver for a Parent
Indianapolis elder law attorneys
What You Need to Know about Elder Financial Exploitation
Indianapolis elder law attorneys
What Options Are Available for Elder Care?
Indianapolis elder law lawyers
How to Recognize Nursing Home Abuse

Primary Sidebar

Frank & Kraft, Attorneys at Law

Download our free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube

Blog Subscription

Where We Are

Frank & Kraft Attorneys at Law
135 N. Pennsylvania Street Suite 1100
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2485
Phone: (317) 684-1100
Fax: (317) 684-6111

See Larger MapGet directions

Office Hours

Monday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Map

frankkraft_sidbr_map

Footer

  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube
footer-logo

Frank & Kraft Attorneys at Law
Attorney Advertisement

© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.

© 2023 · American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Contact Us