FOX 2 - There are tens of millions of people caring for family or friends on a daily basis.
Caregiving is a difficult job with no financial benefits. Instead, it can come with a costly toll - your health.
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Caregivers have a place to get help from Henry Ford hospital
Caregiving is a difficult job with no financial benefits. Instead, it can come with a costly toll of your health
"We need to recognize a point where they're no longer taking care of themselves," Dr. Theresa Toledo says of the caregivers.
She's a Henry Ford Health Geriatric Psychiatrist who sees the toll caregiving can take.
There's emotional challenges and physical, like sleep depreviation, failure to exercise or strain on the body.
"It's especially difficult when there's a physical disability - maybe that you didn't expect - (like) I need to be able to carry you places, I need to be able to wheel you somewhere and I physically can't do that."
But there is help. The Henry Ford C.A.R.E. Program, Caregiver Assistance Resources and Education, helps make caregiving easier.
"It's about balance, so saying, I need help but I don't want to bother my loved ones, I don't want to ask my children because they have their own lives. My other friends, they've maybe gone through it but they don't want to share it so now I don't know, it might be hard for them to talk about," says Dr. Toledo. "So that's why our main goal in support groups is to have people come together and share ideas and stress."
One common peice of advice from the experts, is make sure if you're a caregiver that you find some way to get a break when possible.
You can find more about the care program at www.henryford.com.