We all know how tough it is to be a family caregiver. The physical, financial, and emotional strains have been well documented for years. And those of us who have cared for a family member hardly need research to describe these pressures. But a new study suggests active caregiving, as opposed to the role of passively sitting and waiting for a problem to occur, [...]
Those of us who are caring for our parents or other loved ones know how tough it is. The emotional, physical, and financial burdens are sometimes overwhelming. Bathing your father or changing his adult diaper puts both of you in a new, uncomfortable, and difficult world. But at a Syracuse University long-term care conference I attended last Thursday and Friday, Carol Levine reminded me about the medical expertise caregivers [...]
Receiving personal care at home, as opposed to in a nursing facility or other institution, is not possible without two things: Somebody to provide the assistance and an appropriate place to live. A southern Virginia minister has come up with a possible solution to the second. MEDCottage is a portable, modular self-contained 24x12 dwelling that could be attached to the home [...]
It is tough enough to age in America if you are white and middle-class. You struggle with the loss of physical vigor, social connections, and independence. You face difficult financial challenges and profound changes in your relationships with family. Now, imagine aging if you are out of the cultural mainstream of the U.S. Imagine if you came to America as an adult 40 years ago. [...]
Today, The Washington Post and Kaiser Health News jointly published an article I wrote on aging in place villages--an important element in the effort to help seniors remain in their communities. There are close to 50 villages now operating around the country, and at least 600 communities interested enough to send representatives to workshops held over the past year by the non-profit community development group NCB Capital [...]
Those of us who have been caring for our parents know very well the physical toll it takes. I helped care for my dad for 18 months. And after he died, one of the first things I did was make an appointment to see my own doctor. I had never felt so exhausted and worn out in my life. Now, an important new study describes the health effects [...]
A White House task force on meeting the needs of middle-class families today proposed to spend an additional $102 million to assist caregivers of aging relatives. The initiative includes an extra $52.5 million for respite care--a program enacted by Congress in 2006 but never fully funded. It is very important that the Obama Administration recognizes that caring for our parents is critical to many [...]
When I was caring for my parents, I thought what I was doing was both the hardest thing I had ever done and the most rewarding. Now, an important new study suggests I was not alone. The study, called Caregiving in the U.S., is an important snapshot of what life is like for those providing assistance to aging parents, as well as young adults [...]