For caregivers of disabled family members at home, it’s vital to watch your own health

Cost: There’s no cost involved. Simply share some of the caregiving duties and use that time to get a medical checkup.
In plain terms: It’s not exaggeration when caregivers feel completely exhausted. One U.S. study followed over 800 older adults for four years. Those caring for a disabled spouse while also reporting high levels of mental strain had a mortality risk roughly 63% higher than people who weren’t caregivers. No such increase appeared among caregivers who didn’t report feeling stressed. So the real issue isn’t caregiving itself, but the long-term strain it causes.
Benefit: This prospective cohort study ran from 1993 to 1998, with an average follow-up period of 4.5 years across four U.S. communities. It included 392 caregivers and 427 non-caregivers aged 66–96 who all lived with their spouses. Over four years, 103 participants (12.6%) passed away. After adjusting for socioeconomic factors, pre-existing conditions, and subclinical cardiovascular disease, caregivers reporting mental or emotional stress had a 63% higher mortality risk compared to non-caregivers (RR 1.63, 95% CI 1.00–2.65). No significant increase in mortality was seen among caregivers without reported stress (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.61–1.90) or among spouses who were disabled but not cared for by their partners (RR 1.37, 95% CI 0.73–2.58).
Evidence grade: A
Sources:Schulz R, Beach SR (1999). Caregiving as a risk factor for mortality: the Caregiver Health Effects Study. JAMA, 282(23):2215-2219. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.282.23.2215
Notes: Caution: The lower bound of the confidence interval here is exactly 1.00, meaning there remains a small chance that no actual difference exists. This study focused on older U.S. adults living with disabled spouses, so its findings may not fully apply to caregivers of younger disabled family members. Still, it clearly shows that those experiencing high stress face greater risk. Whenever possible, share caregiving duties with others; contact local disability associations and civil affairs bureaus for respite care or day programs. Caregivers should also keep taking any prescribed medications — see Section 16, Item 1. The main beneficiary of all this advice is you.