A caregiver (sometimes called an informal caregiver) is someone who helps with assisting others with daily living and / or medical tasks. “Informal caregivers” are often a spouse / partner, relative, friend, or neighbor and are typically unpaid1. They take on these roles out of their devotion to a loved one and dedication to helping their quality of life. There are millions of people caring for adults and children in their lives, in fact, there were approximately 43.5 million unpaid caregivers in 20151. About 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months1.
Helping a relative or friend in your care cope with advanced wounds can be intimidating, but knowing how to choose the right products for their conditions can make a meaningful difference in their healing. Those suffering from chronic or slow-healing wounds may not be able to get out on their own to shop for wound care products or even apply the dressings to themselves. Caregivers often take on the responsibility of this support.
As important as the caregiver role is, those providing care to others can be overlooked or left with little time for their own needs. Fortunately, the growing recognition of the prevalence of informal caregiving is leading to development of support and resources. If you find yourself in a caregiver role, there are some wonderful organizations / groups to lean on:
Home – Family Caregiver Alliance
Today’s Caregiver – Caregiver.com
For Caregivers (multiculturalcaregiving.net)
You can also call our Customer Support Center at (800) 882-4582 or (800) 843-8497 for help with information on our Mepilex® Border Flex and Flex Lite wound care dressings.
Molnlycke appreciates all those who give of themselves to help take care of others. Assisting with both advanced wounds and infection prevention can be a common role in caregiving to adults. If you find yourself helping with wound care for a loved one, our Mepilex® Border Flex / Flex Lite dressings can support them on the healing path and make the process less painful and stressful. Our Hibiclens® Antiseptic Skin Cleanser is also a terrific resource to help protect those in your care and yourself from germs on the skin that may cause disease. You can learn more about how Hibiclens can support good hand hygiene during dressing changes here, Hibiclens | Skin Protection for Caregivers.