Family Caregiving
Ginzler: Caregivers Month and Family Caregivers
By: Elinor Ginzler | Source: AARP.org | November 2008
BY THE NUMBERS
Did you know ...
• In 2007, there were about 34 million family caregivers providing care at any given point in time. About 52 million provided care at some time during the year.
• In 2007, the "typical" caregiver in the U.S. was a 46-year-old woman who worked outside the home and spent more than 20 hours per week providing unpaid care to her mother.
HOW TO CARE
Caregiving tasks cut across the spectrum of adult responsibilities —health, finances, mobility, housing, social engagement, and family.
In the coming months, I will provide readers with tips on, and insights into, working through all the issues related to caregiving, including how to find community resources to help. I won't be able to solve any family squabbles that result from years (sometimes generations!) of family dynamics, but I will offer suggestions for productive ways to approach the following issues, among others:
• Keeping people safe and comfortable in their homes.
• Getting loved ones functional enough to stay engaged in their civic and social lives.
• Helping those in need to secure the key community services and public benefits that are meant to support them.
• Navigating the intricacies of public and private health insurance coverage.
• Ensuring that everyone's financial house stays in order.
• Using the best knowledge and wisdom there is to ensure your own and other caregivers' physical, financial, and emotional health.
November is National Family Caregivers Month—a time to honor the commitment of people all across the country who give their time, energy, and resources to enhance the lives of family members who need help. So who are caregivers and what do they do?
The term "caregiver" designates "a family member and/or friend who provides unpaid care to loved ones who need assistance with daily tasks." Most of us take it for granted that we can perform these tasks—until they are difficult or impossible for us to perform. I'm talking about things as seemingly simple as bathing, dressing, eating, or as necessary as balancing checkbooks, getting to the doctor, and shopping for groceries.
When friends and family need help, it can mean a little or a lot. And the help that’s required can be short-term or long-term. Every situation is different and unique; that's what makes caregiving a complex issue. Unfortunately, family members are often caught unprepared for the task.
November is a perfect month to honor caregivers, because it is a time of year when families gather for the holidays. And caregiving is a family affair: More than 75 percent of the care provided within the United States is given by family and friends. So this November, when your family is together for Thanksgiving, take the opportunity to check on Mom, Dad, or other family members, to find out whether they could use help of any kind.
Many of us do assess our loved ones' living situations reflexively. We look in the refrigerator to check the expiration dates on food products, inspect the home to determine whether repairs are needed, and, most important, sit down with loved ones to talk about how they are doing. Discussing these kinds of issues with family members means dipping our toes into the caregiving pool.
Family conversations about personal autonomy can be challenging. Mom or Dad may say everything's fine, something akin to "Don't worry about me." But you may see your mother having trouble walking, or notice a pile of unopened bills going back several months. You may see dents or scrapes on cars that were unblemished before; or you might notice prescription bottles that have no refills remaining.
Here are some tips for how to start the family conversation:
• Take the focus off the person who may need caregiving. Use the famous "I" statements: "I'm worried about you, Mom"; "I want to be sure that everything is OK"; "I noticed the car had a broken side-view mirror."
• Try finding a local news article to jump-start the conversation. It might have a title along the lines of, "Senior Center Open: Offering Classes and Meal Program."
• Talk about a friend who's having issues with her older parents. For example, say, "My friend Jean’s mom is getting frail. How do you think she should talk to her mom about getting help?"
No matter how you start the conversation, always remember that everyone would like to remain independent and in charge all our lives. Caregiving is NOT about taking away control; it's about helping the people you love to lead the best possible lives.
Complications exist—family dynamics, where family members live, and how to share the care. Who will take the lead? What can everyone do to juggle the time commitments involved? How will we pay for all this?
When we look at caregiving across the country, we see that expenses do add up, and caregiving uses many of our resources. Make no mistake about it: Family caregivers are the backbone of the long-term-care system in the United States, because they provide unpaid care that in 2007 had an estimated value to the U.S. economy of $375 billion, according to a new AARP study. That's more than total spending for Medicare in 2005 ($342 billion) and is roughly equivalent to the revenue totals of Exxon ($377 billion) and of Wal-Mart ($351 billion) in 2006.
Caregivers definitely have a tough time in the workplace. In particular, of those with the most intense levels of caregiving responsibility, most arrive late to work and leave early or take time off during the day. Many take leaves of absence, and some report giving up work entirely. Business suffers in this situation, too. According to the AARP caregiving study, the net productivity losses to U.S. businesses from employees' family-caregiving obligations are estimated to be as high as $33.6 billion a year.
When asked, caregivers almost always respond by saying something like, "I'm just being a daughter" or "I'm doing what family does—take care of each other." That "taking care" takes a toll. Caregivers often get caught in the trap of providing help while ignoring their own needs. They let social relationships go, they cut back on their community involvement, and they even spend less time with their own families.
As mentioned earlier, too, there are usually financial consequences of being a caregiver. Taking time from work results in lost wages and may trigger loss of benefits, such as paid health care. In addition, retirement savings may be lowered because of reduced income, and Social Security earnings may be diminished.
In the United States, we need to work on multiple solutions to help caregivers help the ones they love. We need to improve families' abilities to better manage their everyday care responsibilities, reduce their own burdens and health risks, and promote higher quality of life both for the older adults receiving care and for the family members providing it.
Family-friendly workplace policies are one place to start. Respite care programs, which allow caregivers to take time off from their responsibilities while knowing that a trained volunteer or professional is taking care of their family member, can also reduce the stress of being a long-term caregiver.
This column is for caregivers. Knowing the volumes of information on long-term care that's out there these days, I will concentrate on the family member or friend who is helping a loved one. I hope that readers of this column will benefit from the tips and ideas that I provide on helping families better manage the caregiving roles that they embrace.
Caregivers provide the support that loved ones need, but they cannot do so effectively if they neglect their own well-being. As the airline safety instructions state:
"In the event of an emergency, when the oxygen masks deploy due to loss of cabin pressure, put on your own mask first, and then assist others."
Elinor Ginzler is a national expert on independent living and aging issues. She currently serves as AARP's lead spokesperson on caregiving, housing, and mobility issues, including older drivers' safety. She has appeared on or contributed to many industry and consumer news outlets. She is co-author with Hugh Delehanty of "Caring for Your Parent: The Complete Family Guide," published by Sterling Publishing. Ms. Ginzler earned a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and completed her graduate studies at the University of Maryland.
The term "caregiver" designates "a family member and/or friend who provides unpaid care to loved ones who need assistance with daily tasks." Most of us take it for granted that we can perform these tasks—until they are difficult or impossible for us to perform. I'm talking about things as seemingly simple as bathing, dressing, eating, or as necessary as balancing checkbooks, getting to the doctor, and shopping for groceries.
When friends and family need help, it can mean a little or a lot. And the help that’s required can be short-term or long-term. Every situation is different and unique; that's what makes caregiving a complex issue. Unfortunately, family members are often caught unprepared for the task.
November is a perfect month to honor caregivers, because it is a time of year when families gather for the holidays. And caregiving is a family affair: More than 75 percent of the care provided within the United States is given by family and friends. So this November, when your family is together for Thanksgiving, take the opportunity to check on Mom, Dad, or other family members, to find out whether they could use help of any kind.
Many of us do assess our loved ones' living situations reflexively. We look in the refrigerator to check the expiration dates on food products, inspect the home to determine whether repairs are needed, and, most important, sit down with loved ones to talk about how they are doing. Discussing these kinds of issues with family members means dipping our toes into the caregiving pool.
Family conversations about personal autonomy can be challenging. Mom or Dad may say everything's fine, something akin to "Don't worry about me." But you may see your mother having trouble walking, or notice a pile of unopened bills going back several months. You may see dents or scrapes on cars that were unblemished before; or you might notice prescription bottles that have no refills remaining.
Here are some tips for how to start the family conversation:
• Take the focus off the person who may need caregiving. Use the famous "I" statements: "I'm worried about you, Mom"; "I want to be sure that everything is OK"; "I noticed the car had a broken side-view mirror."
• Try finding a local news article to jump-start the conversation. It might have a title along the lines of, "Senior Center Open: Offering Classes and Meal Program."
• Talk about a friend who's having issues with her older parents. For example, say, "My friend Jean’s mom is getting frail. How do you think she should talk to her mom about getting help?"
No matter how you start the conversation, always remember that everyone would like to remain independent and in charge all our lives. Caregiving is NOT about taking away control; it's about helping the people you love to lead the best possible lives.
Complications exist—family dynamics, where family members live, and how to share the care. Who will take the lead? What can everyone do to juggle the time commitments involved? How will we pay for all this?
When we look at caregiving across the country, we see that expenses do add up, and caregiving uses many of our resources. Make no mistake about it: Family caregivers are the backbone of the long-term-care system in the United States, because they provide unpaid care that in 2007 had an estimated value to the U.S. economy of $375 billion, according to a new AARP study. That's more than total spending for Medicare in 2005 ($342 billion) and is roughly equivalent to the revenue totals of Exxon ($377 billion) and of Wal-Mart ($351 billion) in 2006.
Caregivers definitely have a tough time in the workplace. In particular, of those with the most intense levels of caregiving responsibility, most arrive late to work and leave early or take time off during the day. Many take leaves of absence, and some report giving up work entirely. Business suffers in this situation, too. According to the AARP caregiving study, the net productivity losses to U.S. businesses from employees' family-caregiving obligations are estimated to be as high as $33.6 billion a year.
When asked, caregivers almost always respond by saying something like, "I'm just being a daughter" or "I'm doing what family does—take care of each other." That "taking care" takes a toll. Caregivers often get caught in the trap of providing help while ignoring their own needs. They let social relationships go, they cut back on their community involvement, and they even spend less time with their own families.
As mentioned earlier, too, there are usually financial consequences of being a caregiver. Taking time from work results in lost wages and may trigger loss of benefits, such as paid health care. In addition, retirement savings may be lowered because of reduced income, and Social Security earnings may be diminished.
In the United States, we need to work on multiple solutions to help caregivers help the ones they love. We need to improve families' abilities to better manage their everyday care responsibilities, reduce their own burdens and health risks, and promote higher quality of life both for the older adults receiving care and for the family members providing it.
Family-friendly workplace policies are one place to start. Respite care programs, which allow caregivers to take time off from their responsibilities while knowing that a trained volunteer or professional is taking care of their family member, can also reduce the stress of being a long-term caregiver.
This column is for caregivers. Knowing the volumes of information on long-term care that's out there these days, I will concentrate on the family member or friend who is helping a loved one. I hope that readers of this column will benefit from the tips and ideas that I provide on helping families better manage the caregiving roles that they embrace.
Caregivers provide the support that loved ones need, but they cannot do so effectively if they neglect their own well-being. As the airline safety instructions state:
"In the event of an emergency, when the oxygen masks deploy due to loss of cabin pressure, put on your own mask first, and then assist others."
Elinor Ginzler is a national expert on independent living and aging issues. She currently serves as AARP's lead spokesperson on caregiving, housing, and mobility issues, including older drivers' safety. She has appeared on or contributed to many industry and consumer news outlets. She is co-author with Hugh Delehanty of "Caring for Your Parent: The Complete Family Guide," published by Sterling Publishing. Ms. Ginzler earned a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and completed her graduate studies at the University of Maryland.
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