Decision box

• For every 100 caregivers who start a regular exercise program, 0 to 30 are off it before the end, depending on the study. More will stick to the program in home-based programs compared to group-based programs.
• Caregivers generally stop participating in exercise programs because they lack time.

For every 100 individuals who are physically active, about 15 experience an injury due to physical activity.

In general, to experience positive impacts from physical activity, people must be physically active at least 3 weeks, either for 20 minutes 3 times a week, or for 2 hours once a week. Whatever the duration and frequency of the exercise, it takes time.

Psychoeducation takes time. So far, the programs that have demonstrated positive impacts required 1-2 weekly sessions and lasted about 8 weeks. Each session took about one hour.

Group-based psychoeducation may require caregivers to travel to a location far from their home.

Some caregivers are uncomfortable talking in large groups of people.

Some caregivers face challenges to attend support group meetings, such as:

• not being able to leave the person in their care
• the meeting taking place too far away from their home
• the meeting being held at inconvenient meeting times
• not having any transportation
• being too busy

Some caregivers find it difficult to give up their caring role.They may feel a sense of failure or guilt when they acknowledge a need for support, especially if they have negative perceptions of respite services. These negative attitudes may originate from their perceptions that the care staff may lack respect for their loved ones.

Some care recipients feel reluctant to use respite care. They can refuse to cooperate, causing more stress for the caregiver. This reluctance may stem from their previous personality or social preferences. Even with in-home respite care, some recipients may feel uncomfortable with strangers.

Respite care may cause stress and confusion in the care recipient. It may also lead to a loss of mobility when exercise is not maintained during respite, or a loss of continence due to more limited personal care. These impacts may in turn create more stress for the caregiver.

Respite services are not available everywhere. Most services also have costs (about $ 25 / hr).

For every 100 persons who start psychotherapy, 20 quit before the end due to cost, lack of progress, dissatisfaction with therapy, anxiety during therapy, or because they moved to a different location.

For every 100 individuals who receive psychotherapy, 3 to 16 experience adverse effects, such as negative emotions, stigmatization, negative effects on their relationships, abuse by the therapist.

For every 100 individuals who receive psychotherapy for 10-20 weeks, 27 relapse within 1 to 2 years of the end of therapy.

Consulting a psychotherapist in the public sector requires a reference from your family doctor. There are also wait lists to start therapy. Psychotherapy is also offered in the private sector, at a cost of about $100 per session.

Caregivers have 9% more chance of developing health problems compared to people who are not caregivers. Watchful waiting increases one's risk of experiencing health problems.

Caregiving is associated with increased mortality. Watchful waiting thus increases one's risk of dying.