Just after Vanessa and her husband Paul purchased their dream home, Vanessa’s father experienced a sharp decline in his health. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a year earlier. Vanessa’s mother was in better health, but she was overwhelmed by her new responsibilities as a caregiver to her husband. Vanessa and Paul began to help […]
An estimated 63 million Americans provide unpaid care to an adult family member or a disabled child. About 37% of unpaid caregivers provide care to their parent or parent-in-law. Due in large part to the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, the nation has seen a 45% increase in the number of family caregivers during […]
The Administration for Community Living reports that an American who turns 65 today will have a 69% chance of needing long-term care services at some point in their remaining lifespan. While the remaining 31% will never need the assistance of caregivers, about 20% of Americans turning 65 will need care services for at least five […]
A handful of federal and state programs provide assistance to unpaid family caregivers. Because that assistance is limited, philanthropic organizations are funding additional initiatives to give relief to people who often sacrifice their careers and health to act as caregivers for older relatives. Unpaid caregivers provide 75 to 80 percent of the total care that […]
October 9 is Ageism Awareness Day. Like any awareness day, its purpose is to call attention to a problem and inspire people to take action. That action starts with the recognition that ageism is real, that it harms older adults and society as a whole, and that the time has come to understand the importance […]
Medical science has not identified a clear cause of Alzheimer’s Disease. While changes in an aging brain seem to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors all play a role. Age itself does not cause dementia. About a third of people who are 85 or older are living with Alzheimer’s, but […]
Each year, about 14 million older adults in the United States report that they have fallen. Unreported falls are estimated to bring the total number of falls by seniors to about 36 million. About 37% of reported falls cause an injury that requires medical treatment or that causes a senior to restrict her activities for […]
The number of Americans who are working two jobs to support their families has been growing steadily. In October 2023, 8.4 million Americans had multiple jobs. By January 2024, that number increased to 8.7 million. The trend to hold multiple jobs does not appear to be abating. About 5.1% of American workers held more than […]
June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. The adult children of aging parents should make vigilant efforts all year to detect signs of abuse. Raising awareness includes learning how to identify those signs. Older adults are often unwilling to share their concerns about abuse. If they have fallen for a financial scam, they might be ashamed […]
Family caregivers usually work without compensation. They often devote much of their day to helping older family members with their activities of daily living. The work of caregiving is stressful and often unappreciated. The self-sacrifice associated with caregiving comes with a cost. Apart from giving up the opportunity to earn a fulltime income, family caregivers […]