Who is caregiver?
Anyone can be a caregiver.
Many people are not aware that they are caregivers. They think of themselves as the child, parent, partner, relative or friend of the person being cared for, and they take care of those close to them as part of their daily lives.
If you are caring for someone who has a disability, health problems, mental illness or is frail due to age, you are a caregiver .
Who is the caregiver?
Caregivers look after people who need help with everyday life. These people may include caring for elderly family members, adults with long-term health, mental illness, or disability problems, or children.
According to conservative statistics, there are more than 1.4 million family or friend caregivers in Hong Kong, which means about one in five people in Hong Kong are caregivers. If a person is employed to care for someone, it is not counted in this range. People become caregivers in different ways. Sometimes, they start caring for someone accidentally. Sometimes, it changes roles due to an accident or illness and becomes a deep caregiver.
What do caregivers do?
Caregivers provide support and assistance to the care recipient with daily activities, including preparing meals, bathing, dressing, going to the toilet, moving around, and taking medications. They may also need help arranging transportation, shopping, or housework, and may even need support in being present.
Some people provide care permanently, while others only provide care occasionally.
You may not be the only one caring for someone, and you may not provide support every day. Every person’s situation is different.
