Home-Based Psychosocial Issues

For patients and caregivers living in the community or other residential settings, burnout and various types of abuse are unfortunately common occurrences. Families and caregiver relationships can take various forms; some forms, embedded in local cultures and combined with mental health issues, may predispose people to a higher risk of burnout or abuse. Abuse and neglect are classified together in current literature, since their results and causes are similar. This chapter surveys family structures, caregiving structures, forms of abuse and neglect, common comorbidities in abusers and victims, and physical therapy interventions to prevent or minimize negative effects of burnout, abuse, and neglect. Chapter 1 discusses clinician burnout in more detail.