• grocery shopping
• house cleaning
• cooking
• shopping
• paying bills
• giving medicine
• bathing
• using the toilet
• dressing
• eating

People who are not paid to provide care are known as informal caregivers or family caregivers. The most common type of informal caregiving relationship is an adult child caring for an elderly parent. Other types of caregiving relationships include:

• adults caring for other relatives, such as grandparents, siblings, aunts, and uncles
• spouses caring for elderly husbands or wives
• middle-aged parents caring for severely disabled adult children
• adults caring for friends and neighbors
• children caring for a disabled parent or elderly grandparent

What is Caregiver Stress?
Caregiver stress is the emotional and physical strain of caregiving. It can take many forms. For instance, you may feel:

• frustrated and angry taking care of someone with dementia who often wanders away or becomes easily upset
• guilty because you think that you should be able to provide better care, despite all the other things that you have to do
• lonely because all the time you spend caregiving has hurt your social life
• exhausted when you go to bed at night

Caregiver stress appears to affect women more than men. About 75 percent of caregivers who report feeling very strained emotionally, physically, or financially are women.

Although caregiving can be challenging, it is important to note that it can also have its rewards. It can give you a feeling of giving back to a loved one. It can also make you feel needed and can lead to a stronger relationship with the person receiving care. About half of caregivers report that:

• they appreciate life more as a result of their caregiving experience
• caregiving has made them feel good about themselves