The beginning of 2020 witnessed the emergence of something grave, which continues to bring about a change in the history of the world. Covid-19, a deadly virus whose effect brought down the most developed countries around the globe into its chains. India did not go unnoticed. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought countries to a complete stand-still, re-imagined “normal” living patterns and affected human lives in different ways.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruptions to society, with major impact on employment, financial well-being, and social relationships. The specific effects on family caregivers are unknown. Health issues cause various amounts of mental and physical exhaustion. Adding to its distance, the task seems to take a toll on all of us. Paridhi Maheshwari, based in Vizag and a student of Symbiosis Pune, accounts her days of caregiving tasks as a very distressing process.  With an ill grandmother, covid-19 contacted parents and college classes, tasks seemed innumerable. Jostling rules of social distancing, keeping things sanitized at every nook and corner, and calming down an emotional grandmother, she was grappling with her own mental health. Yet, for Paridhi, it was not the monotonous tasks of pill-keeping but uplifting the morale of her mother and father which strained her. As a caregiver, the utmost requirement is to keep a benevolent atmosphere, which is painstaking when a person's own emotions are strewn around. The crammed vibes tend to create a form of toxicity for the caregiver, but no due consideration is given to that, for the patient not only goes through physical pain but a constant battle of will to continue, especially when the disease is as uncertain as Covid-19. With this thought, Paridhi went on to go through her tasks with as much positivity as she could, to get the healthy atmosphere back again.

 

Decades of research on family caregiving have shown that long-term and complex caregiving tasks often result in chronic stress for family caregivers which can lead to negative health outcomes for both the caregiver and care recipient. The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to add to the complexity of caregiving given the stay-at-home requirements, reduced access to health care services, and the vulnerability of individuals at higher risk for severe side effects. Nurses and doctors all around the world hail to this task every single day, in and about patients with varying levels of severity. Meeting their requirements, in a danger-prone situation makes their sacrifice, both mentally and physically, a noteworthy one. However, the norm of home recovery with Covid-19 added another faculty into this caregiving task. Their inexperience added more complexity to their tasks, all they had with them was the deep emotional connection to make it right; Family, a small unit, a minuscule part of the society yet a stronghold composed to be the main caregiver in the Covid-19 era. The caregivers themselves are coming in contact with the virus, hailing the task to a very difficult situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                   

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                    Credits: Anindito Mukherjee

 

 

Covid-19 led to an invariable distance among family members. Lockdowns, travel restrictions separated family members to different parts of the country. In such scenarios when a family member gets infected with Covid-19, the caregiving task becomes extremely difficult when physical presence is deprived. Involved in such a discussion was, Richa Dwivedi, a young assistant professor working in Pune heard the news of her parents being covid positive. "It was a period of bleak numbness. Travelling was not an option due to the lockdown. They are old with various health issues. My world stopped spinning." In a time of momentary weakness, she channelized all her thought process in securing as many resources for their well-being.  Further, the whole process took a toll on her work. With career commitments and an ongoing PhD study, her entire focus used to be in Bhopal. "A call from them used to put me on high alert, as the infection was not mild. An oxygen cylinder was needed at one point in time. My days were recounted with fear so dreaded that describing it chills me to the bones."  Despite the tiring times, Richa concludes that “the constant follow- up and providing extra medicinal health care kits, really helped to improve their health and overall spirits.”

 

Waves of this virus continue to affect members of the world around. Patients fight a war of uncertainty but members of the family go through an unimaginable sense of melancholy. Empathy is the key in such trying times. Especially towards the caregivers as their battle is a lonely one. They give up a lot, being emotionally exhausted. It is an overwhelming amount of selflessness that one goes through. They are the hidden victims whose sacrifice continues to remain unseen.

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