The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation for caregivers who face health-related socioeconomic vulnerabilities.

When Floria Foote became her sister’s caregiver, she didn’t realize how much work she would end up doing during her sister’s downfall. “It wasn’t like her,” Foote said. There she was, raising two foster children and caring for our aging father at the same time. She went from being inactive to not wanting to do anything. I had to help her take a bath in the morning, wait. Manage her schedule, her bills, everything.

Foote’s experience as a caregiver is surprisingly common. One in five US adults provided unpaid caregiving to another adult in 2020. This invisible group provides essential support to our society, especially as the population ages, but faces many challenges and a lack of resources during their careers. A new study from the University of Chicago further emphasizes the issue.

A new study found that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, female caregivers were 63% more likely than non-caregivers to experience health-related socioeconomic vulnerabilities such as food insecurity, financial stress, and transportation difficulties. At least one exposure compared to 47% of non-caregivers. In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, things got worse -; Caregivers were more likely to experience new or worsening financial hardship, as well as new interpersonal violence, food insecurity, transportation problems, and housing deprivation. The results were published on September 26 Family medical history.

Many adults provide care for other adults; One in five American adults and one in three women are providing care to a parent, sibling or friend who needs help every day. These caregivers play a vital role in health care. If caregivers were suddenly unable to provide care for any reason, we would be in trouble. Our system is unable to handle emergency support needs.

Jennifer McKellarsky, PhD, MPH, senior epidemiologist, University of Chicago and senior author of the study

Caregivers must balance their own lives and needs with those of their dependents, finding ways to take care of themselves and spend more time caring for their loved ones. “When you’re in caregiving mode, there’s traction,” Foote said. “You neglect yourself for someone you care about, but it’s always a struggle, because you have to take care of yourself. You can’t get sick or do anything that puts you out of shape or down. Because you have to be able to work for yourself and for the person you care for.”

Caregivers are at increased risk of health-related socioeconomic risks and anything that threatens their ability to care for themselves and their dependents. For example, global pandemic -; It puts additional pressure on this invisible, unpaid workforce. Those experiencing financial instability or homelessness are unable to provide adequate care for themselves and their loved ones. All these risk factors can directly affect a person’s health.

“People think that my job as a gynecologist is to diagnose and treat problems related to the female genitalia,” says Stacey Tessler Lindau, MD, MA, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and medicine-geriatrics at UChicago Medicine. “When I appreciate my patients as whole people, including their role as caregivers, I can tailor my treatment recommendations around reality. If I don’t, the best medical care can be futile. This study is a call to action. Health care systems need to systematically and proactively identify caregivers for them in the context of the critical care they provide to others.” To provide care that works.Caregivers are a neglected extension of our health care system.

The researchers note that these challenges may evolve as caregivers face additional challenges. “Something can be done to support caregivers,” McKellarski said. “Things have gotten worse for everyone during the pandemic, but also for female caregivers. And these are things we can work to intervene in to better support an important part of our health care system.”

It is hoped that these results will help further efforts by the federal government to standardize support resources for caregivers; They plan to share the results with community organizations and representatives who can help raise awareness of this issue and advocate for systemic change.

“Traditionally, medical care has focused primarily on the boundaries of the body and what happens within the four walls of clinics or hospitals,” Lindau said. But there are off-the-wall drivers that affect one’s health, such as food and transportation and a safe community. How can women caregivers care for their relatives if they do not have enough food to feed themselves? Are they abused at home or in the community? Women caregivers are bridging the gap between the health care system and the home for our rapidly aging population, and supporting them is in all of our interests.

In the year With her sister passing in 2020, being able to support her sister was exhausting, but she was grateful for the opportunity to be there. “I always said if she needed me, I would come take care of her,” Foote said. “The Covid-19 pandemic has made everything more work, but it’s been nice to be with my sister again, to be there for the day-to-day.”