More Than Two in Five American Caregivers Have Sacrificed Their Own Mental or Physical Health to Care for A Loved One

In a recent survey commissioned by Pria™ by BLACK+DECKER, a new automated medication dispenser and management device and the first direct-to-consumer product from STANLEY Healthcare, 41% of American caregivers (defined as those who have provided care for a loved one) say they have sacrificed their own mental or physical health to provide care to a loved one who is unable to care for themselves.

The survey was commissioned to celebrate today – National Caregivers Day – and highlight the many sacrifices made by caregivers across the country. It was conducted online by The Harris Poll among over 2,000 U.S. adults* and found that, in addition to sacrificing their own mental and physical health, caregivers were also making major sacrifices across all aspects of their daily lives.
Survey results showed that more than four out of five Americans (84%) have provided care for a loved one, and an overwhelming majority of them (82%) have made sacrifices in order to provide that care – the top sacrifice being time spent with others (61%), including their children (24%), significant others (38%), friends (39%) or others (22%). Other sacrifices they have made in order to provide care include sleep (48%), leisure time for activities such as reading or watching TV (46%), time for exercise (33%), healthy eating (31%) and their own personal care (31%). The impact of being a caregiver can even be felt in one’s career and finances, with 34% of caregivers reporting making monetary sacrifices such as money spent on groceries, medical needs, gas or parking, and 27% admitting to sacrificing responsibilities at work.

While providing care for a loved one requires a major time commitment, Pria was designed to give some of that time back.

“Pria allows me to continue to monitor my parents closely while allowing them to maintain their independence,” said Pria user Devin from Washington. “I even use check-ins to make sure my parents are exercising regularly and eating every meal.”

Pria by BLACK+DECKER understands the sacrifices made by caregivers and was designed to empower loved ones who desire to maintain independent at home while staying connected to their families. By employing a HIPAA-compliant platform, the voice-enabled tabletop robot provides caregivers real-time insight into their loved one’s adherence to both prescribed and over-the-counter medication therapy and wellbeing through a mobile application. Pria is the ultimate home healthcare tracking and management tool for independent individuals and their caregivers.