The Caregiving Stress of Men

For decades now females have mostly been the ones who are taking the responsibility to be the caregivers of their aging parents or their aging in-laws. Around 65% of all caregivers were female in 2009. Men make up only about 35% of caregivers but that number has greatly increased from only 19% in 1996. In more recent years men have accounted for around 40% of all caregivers and the number has been continuously on the rise.

It’s a fact that women normally outlive men. The difference in life expectancy between men and  women was about 7.8 years in 1979 with women outliving men. This gap has been closing over the past few decades and in 2005 the life expectancy difference was only 5.3 years. Studies have shown that over the past decade the male population has been growing much faster than women in the 60+ age range. The number of males between the ages of 60 and 74 increased more than 35% while the number of females in that same age range increased only 29%.

So men and women are both living longer and males are living much longer than before. This along with more women working outside of the home has made it necessary for a lot more men to take on the responsibility to care for their parents or in-laws. This commitment can be quite stressful for men who are largely not used to this kind of responsibility.

Men by nature tend to put more stress on themselves than women and often have a tougher time dealing with the stress. Male caregivers are more likely to continue working full time which will greatly hinder the time available for them to deal with their stress in a healthy manner. Most male caregivers will feel embarrassed or uncomfortable helping their loved ones with daily hygiene and other daily activities. They will often become irritable and frustrated because they won’t be able to fix every problem associated to caregiving. Men want to be in control and if they’re not it can be very hard on them psychologically.

As the number of male caregivers continues to grow it is very important that men aren’t afraid to ask for help. Male caregivers often have a tougher time sharing their experiences with other family members, friends, or medical physicians. They are also largely unaware of the programs out there that can greatly assist them and in turn they tend to keep their problems internal which can lead to health problems of their own.

Help is out there guys; you just have to be willing to ask for it. Millions of others go through the same things every day and can help you with your issues. Caregiver support is available through numerous outlets online and elsewhere. Don’t put your own health at risk by keeping your problems to yourself. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone who can help you through these stressful times and make things much easier on yourself.

Related articles

• What is caregiver stress (lifefoneblog.com)