Health and Well-Being

Extract

[...] However, it also acknowledges some of the drawbacks of informal networks. Families with these drawbacks can avail themselves of alternative resources in the form of support groups, respite care services, and community programs developed with the needs of caregivers in mind in order to equip them with tools to handle this stressful role. Conclusion Social Support Networks have clearly been shown in the story about cutbacks to family caregiver programs in Indiana. The story provides a very good example of these networks, especially the informal ones that include the family. [...]

[...] Works Cited Alcon Ted "Paid Family Caregivers in Indiana Face Steep Cutbacks." The New York Times Mar www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/health/indiana-home-care-medicaid.html. George, Emma S., et al. "Psychological distress among carers and the moderating effects of social support." Bmc Psychiatry 20 (2020): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02571-7 Wang, Shanshan, et al. "Factors associated with caregiving appraisal of informal caregivers: A systematic review." Journal of Clinical Nursing 29.17-18 (2020): 3201-3221. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15394 Hajek, André, Benedikt Kretzler, and Hans-Helmut König. "Informal caregiving, loneliness and social isolation: A systematic review." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18.22 (2021): 12101. [...]

[...] Reduced access to paid caregivers could increase social isolation in people who gain companionship and emotional support from the caregivers. Research, therefore, indicates that social isolation may irreducibly impair an individual's well-being, particularly with patients already riddled with chronic health conditions that inherently involve limited social exposure (Hajek et al.). This story illustrates this quite well, showing how care recipients could lose their social connection if they are dependent on paid caregivers for outings and interactions. Social support networks provide an important buffer against social isolation, a sense of belonging, purpose, and emotional connection, all of which motivates the care recipient. [...]

[...] Social support networks are able to perform such daily routines and errands, thus reducing the burden of difficulty. Lastly, information and advice are other benefits that these networks offer. Sharing of experiences and knowledge can empower people to make learned choices when they are faced with a problem. The Story "Paid Family Caregivers in Indiana Face Deep Cuts" A recent article in The New York Times, "Paid Family Caregivers in Indiana Face Steep Cutbacks," explains the financial dilemma that many Indiana families are facing in regard to their state-funded programs that pay family members to stay at home with disabled or chronically ill relatives. [...]

[...] These changes have, by extension, been a source of strain on the finances of the caregivers and, therefore, can affect the well-being of the care seeker. Relation of the News Story to the Social Psychological Concept The Social Psychological Concept is well evidenced in the New York Times article, which argues that support from a family is crucial to family caregiving. Nevertheless, the story points out that cutbacks in the funding of state-funded caregiver programs may overburden such networks. When the family has to depend increasingly on informal support because they cannot afford to pay, it can amount to much trouble. [...]