En partenariat avec

 

Helping the caregivers
Susan Aldridge, PhD
 

Carers following an exercise programme reported physical and psychological benefits.
Caring for someone with dementia is probably one of the most demanding and stressful tasks a person can do - yet it's a commitment embraced by around 3.5 American women. They care for spouses or parents with dementia and all too often their own physical and mental health suffers as a result.
To assess the effect of an exercise programme on caregivers, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine recruited a group of 51 women who were caring for a demented relative at home. The women were invited to follow a schedule of three or four 30 to 40 minute exercise sessions a week, with regular contact with a counsellor for support.
Seventy per cent kept up the programme for a year, increasing the intensity of their physical activity. By the end of the year, they reported feeling less stressed, less depressed - even though their burdens had not decreased. A similar result was found among a group of caregivers who followed a nutrition programme. It may well be that regular contact with counsellors is at least in part responsible for the benefits seen in these self-care programmes.
 

Source
Psychosomatic Medicine May/June 2002